Now completely updated and revised--a new edition of the long-running marathon training guide that has helped more than half a million people reach their goals.

Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide is among the bestselling running books of all time for many reasons, but above all others is this one: It works.

Marathon running has changed in the seven years since the fourth edition--there are more runners than ever before, the popularity of half-marathons has grown immensely, and guidelines for best recovery and diet practices have changed. This revised fifth edition includes a new chapter on ultramarathons, along with material on recovery techniques, several new training programs, and advice on how to win a Boston qualifying race and improve your personal record. At its core remains Hal Higdon's clear and essential information on injury prevention, training, and nutrition. Marathon demystifies the marathon experience and allows each runner to achieve peak performance without anguish or pain, taking the guesswork out of marathon training, whether it's for your first or fiftieth. With Higdon's comprehensive approach and tried-and-tested methods, any runner will learn how to optimize their training and achieve their marathon goals.

Hal Higdon's name is synonymous with running. As contributing editor of Runner's World and best-selling author, he has helped countless runners achieve their distance goals. Now, he's created the definitive guide on today's most popular distance, the 13.1-mile half marathon.

Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training is everything you wanted to know about running the half marathon, including where to begin, what to focus on, how to pace yourself, how to avoid injury, how to track your progress, how to stay the course, and how to improve. Whether this is your first or fiftieth half marathon, there is a plan for you.

Inside you'll find more than 15 customizable programs, ranging from novice to advanced (you'll even find a walking-only plan), as well as proven strategies, race-day tips, and motivation from half-marathoners around the globe. From day 1 to mile 13.1, Hal will guide, encourage, and pace you to your goal.

Other guides might help you complete the half, but only one will introduce you to the joys of running. Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training is a book you'll return to for guidance and inspiration for a lifetime of running.

The razor-sharp account of a notorious murder

The 1924 murder of fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks by Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb shocked the nation. One hundred years later, the killing and its aftermath still reverberate through popular culture and the history of American crime.

Hal Higdon's true crime classic offers an unprecedented examination of the case. Higdon details Leopold and Loeb's journey from privilege and promise to the planning and execution of their monstrous vision of the perfect crime. Drawing on secret testimony, Higdon follows the police investigation through the pair's confessions of guilt and recreates the sensational hearing where Clarence Darrow, the nation's most famous attorney, saved the pair from the death penalty.

In-depth and definitive, Leopold and Loeb tells the dramatic story of a notorious crime and its long afterlife in the American imagination.

The early career of Don Prudhomme is captured in this spine-tingling account of the 1973 Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Master writer Hal Higdon spent the race weekend shadowing Prudhomme during a race that was the turning point in The Snake's dominating Funny Car racing career.

Higdon captured the weekend drama minute-by-minute as Snake fights for a chance to make history. Along the way, Higdon delves into Prudhomme's history as a racer, giving the reader insight into how Don Prudhomme became a household name in the early 1970s. The account includes Prudhomme's relationship with Tom Mongoose McEwen--the infamous Snake versus Mongoose rivalry that made both men's careers. Higdon takes the readers behind the wheel, into the pits and back along the hard road where years of planning and training reach their climax for a driver within a space of seconds.

In the first book on this tragic event, 4:09:43, Hal Higdon, a contributing editor at Runner's World, tells the tale of the Boston Marathon bombings. The book's title refers to the numbers on the finish-line clock when the first bomb exploded.

In 4:09:43, Higdon views Boston 2013 through the eyes of those running the race. You will meet George, a runner from Athens, birthplace of the modern marathon, who at sunrise joins the eerie march of silent runners, all aimed at their appointments in Hopkinton, where the marathon starts. You will meet Michele, who at age 2 helped her mother hand water to runners, who first ran the marathon while a student at Wellesley College, and who decided to run Boston again mainly because her daughter Shannon was now a student at Boston University. You will meet Tracy, caught on Boylston Street between the two explosions, running for her life. You will meet Heather, a Canadian, who limped into the Medical Tent with bloody socks from blisters, soon to realize that worse things exist than losing a toenail.

In what may be a first, Hal Higdon used social media in writing 4:09:43. Sunday, not yet expecting what might happen the next day, Higdon posted a good-luck message on his popular Facebook page. Perfect weather, the author predicted. A 'no-excuses' day. Within minutes, runners in Boston responded. Neil suggested that he was chilling before the carb-a-thon continues. Christy boasted from her hotel room: Bring it

Then, the explosions on Monday Like all runners, Higdon wondered whether marathoners would ever feel safe again. Beginning Tuesday, runners told him. They began blogging on the Internet, posting to his Facebook page, offering links to their stories, so very similar, but also so very different. Over the next several hours, days, and weeks, Higdon collected the tales of nearly 75 runners who were there, whose lives forever would be shadowed by the bombs on Boylston Street.

In 4:09:43, Higdon presents these stories, condensing and integrating them into a smooth-flowing narrative that begins with runners boarding the buses at Boston Common, continues with the wait at the Athletes' Village in Hopkinton, and flows through eight separate towns. The story does not end until the 23,000 participants encounter the terror on Boylston Street. These are not 75 separate stories, says Higdon. This is one story told as it might have been by a single runner with 75 pairs of eyes.

One warning about reading 4:09:43: You will cry. But you will laugh, too, because for most of those who covered the 26 miles 385 yards from Hopkinton to Boylston Street, this was a joyous journey, albeit one that ended in tragedy. This is a book as much about the race and the runners in the race as it is about a terrorist attack. In future years as people look back on the Boston Marathon bombings, 4:09:43 will be the book that everyone will need to have read.

Achieve a personal best at any distance

Are you looking for better race times, whether you run 5Ks or marathons? Searching for that ultimate, exhilarating moment when you're running faster than ever before? Or do you just want to have more fun when you run?

You can run faster, and this book will show you how.

Run Fast is a comprehensive guide for runners of all abilities to improve your speed and achieve a personal best at any distance. Hal Higdon is one of the most experienced and trusted experts in running, and this classic volume is completely revised and updated with new workouts, race distances, and advice for runners of every level. Run Fast spells out a complete program to help you increase your speed, build your endurance, improve your times, and motivate yourself to achieve your running goals.

New training plans for novice runners make getting started easy. More experienced runners will discover refreshing workouts that both improve their speed and make training fun. And, if you've taken an exercise break, you'll see how to get back in shape while staying injury free.

Packed with stories and tips from coaches, record-holders, and average runners alike, Run Fast is brimming with inspiration. Experience the thrill of better race times, the satisfaction of running strong, and the sheer joy that comes from running faster than ever before.

Finding the Groove features enlightening interviews with 27 leading drivers of the 1970s. From NASCAR and Indy all the way to drag and street racing, author Hal Higdon explores American racing in all its forms. In each chapter, Higdon asks the drivers: How do you go fast around a racetrack? Find out how The King Richard Petty has collected a record number of poles and top ten finishes and how Mario Andretti's mastery over the groove made him one of the sport's most legendary drivers. Learn from Mark Donohue, Al and Bobby Unser, Bobby Allison, Don the Snake Prudhomme, and others on where to pinpoint that sweet spot on the track in this throwback edition of Finding the Groove.

Johnny Rutherford was one of the most exciting drivers in big-time auto racing of the 1970s. In these action-filled pages author Hal Higdon tells how Rutherford grew into a racing great. Starting out driving sprint and midget cars in the Midwest, Johnny moved on to stock-car racing--that hair-raising sport in which you shove the throttle pedal to the floor and hold it there all the way around the track. Higdon follows Johnny's career on to Daytona and finally the famous Indy 500. This is the fascinating true story of how a young man made it to the top in the most dangerous sport of all.

Thirty days! From the moment the drivers entered in the 1970 Indianapolis 500 rolled their cars onto the track for practice until the command Gentlemen, start your engines, they faced thirty days of intense action. The drivers needed to go fast enough to earn one of thirty-three starting positions. Only then would they have a chance to win what sportswriters and fans called the greatest spectacle in racing.

And award-winning sportswriter Hal Higdon was there to report on the action: hovering in the pits next to the racers in their cars, wandering into Gasoline Alley to tell their stories, absorbing all the excitement the month of May brings to Indianapolis.

Here is the tale, day by day, of those thirty crucial days--the drivers with fast cars and slow cars, the drivers with rich sponsors and those with little money, the drivers with talent and those who need good luck to place high or even qualify. The list of competitors in 1970 was formidable, and included Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Mark Donahue, A.J. Foyt, and the Unser brothers. Add the owners: Roger Penske and Andy Granatelli.

Once the gentlemen start their engines, the race begins. The danger builds. A tiny twitch heading into a turn can result in bent metal and lost lives. Even the fans live in danger.

This is the story of the 1970 Indy 500, but the scenes are repeated on the stained turns of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway year after year.

With over 3,000 pieces of wit and wisdom from runners famous and humble, here is an important running resource and a great gift for any runner. George Sheehan, a celebrated running writer, philosopher, and physician, once wrote, The more I run, the more certain I am that I am heading for my real goal: to become the person I am. Today, many runners--whether they are training for the Olympics or whether they fit runs into their lunch hours--would agree that for them the sport is much more than a way to stay in shape. Their running defines who they are and leads them to achieve goals that they might never have thought possible. This tremendous collection of wisdom captures the spirit and passion of those who run in over 3,000 entries, covering topics such as training, gear, running philosophy, and running in youth and old age. The Gigantic Book of Running Wisdom will inspire everyone from seasoned marathoners to running novices. It includes thoughts from famous athletes, writers, politicians, and more, including Percy Cerutty, Carl Lewis, Tom Brokaw, David Letterman, William Shakespeare, Farrah Fawcett, Emil Z topek, Bill Rodgers, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sebastian Coe, Bill Clinton, Grete Waitz, Roger Bannister, and hundreds of others. The one thing they all have in common is their understanding that, as Amby Burfoot put it, As we run, we become. 16 b/w illustrations. You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming.--Frank Shorter I love the feeling of freedom in running, the fresh air, the feeling that the only person I'm competing with is me.--Wilma Rudolph

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports--books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.

In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

For nearly 150 years, one question remains unanswered in the events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln: was Samuel A. Mudd, the physician who set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth, guilty or innocent of participating in the conspiracy to murder the president? Featuring a new introduction and epilogue, this well-researched and unbiased account of Mudd's testimony, trial, and imprisonment remains the gold standard on the topic more than forty years after it was first published. So, did Dr. Mudd merely answer the call of duty when an injured man appeared on his doorstep, or was he a wily co-conspirator who avoided the death penalty? Hal Higdon takes an objective stance and allows the reader to decide.

With over 3,000 pieces of wit and wisdom from runners famous and humble, here is an important running resource and a great gift for any runner. George Sheehan, a celebrated running writer, philosopher, and physician, once wrote, The more I run, the more certain I am that I am heading for my real goal: to become the person I am. Today, many runners--whether they are training for the Olympics or whether they fit runs into their lunch hours--would agree that for them the sport is much more than a way to stay in shape. Their running defines who they are and leads them to achieve goals that they might never have thought possible. This tremendous collection of wisdom captures the spirit and passion of those who run in over 3,000 entries, covering topics such as training, gear, running philosophy, and running in youth and old age. The Gigantic Book of Running Wisdom will inspire everyone from seasoned marathoners to running novices. It includes thoughts from famous athletes, writers, politicians, and more, including Percy Cerutty, Carl Lewis, Tom Brokaw, David Letterman, William Shakespeare, Farrah Fawcett, Emil Zátopek, Bill Rodgers, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sebastian Coe, Bill Clinton, Grete Waitz, Roger Bannister, and hundreds of others. The one thing they all have in common is their understanding that, as Amby Burfoot put it, As we run, we become. 16 b/w illustrations. You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming.--Frank Shorter I love the feeling of freedom in running, the fresh air, the feeling that the only person I'm competing with is me.--Wilma Rudolph

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports--books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.

In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.