'In The Race Against Time Askwith touches upon something larger than simply running or sport -
he helps us to see ourselves ... Both inspiring and moving' - Adharanand Finn author of
Running with the Kenyans A quest for the secrets of happy healthy whole-life running and how
runners can keep enjoying their sport whatever their age What do you do when the sport that
has been your lifeline to physical and mental well-being starts to slip away from you? Richard
Askwith a life-long running enthusiast was sunk in mid-life despair. Plagued by injuries and
demoralised by failing strength and speed he was on the point of giving up for good. Then he
came across the remarkable world of late-life athletics and resolved to find out more. The
result is a thrilling life-affirming quest for the secrets of the happy few who keep on
running all through life's later decades culminating in a life-changing adventure at the World
Masters Athletics Championships. It's a resounding message of hope for any runner who has felt
their joy in their sport being undermined by age. Colourful informative and inspiring The
Race Against Time is a story of cold science and heart-warming resilience of champions and
also-rans of sprinting centenarians and forty-something super-athletes barely touched by age.
Its heroes are experts and enthusiasts - scientists coaches runners - from many countries
each with a different story to tell. What unites them is a single belief: that you don't have
to take growing old lying down. This is a book for anyone who has ever felt the healing power
of running. It is both a very personal account of one man's journey from despair to hope and
an exhilarating guide explaining how timely adjustments to lifestyle and training can slow the
progress of physiological decay while sheer human spirit can if you are lucky keep you
running happily and healthily all the way into extreme old age.
