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This Is About Running, This Is Not About Running

Lessons for Between and Beyond the Start and Finish Line
Brief Description
From Nike Running’s Global Head Coach Chris Bennett comes a bold, welcoming book for runners, non-runners, and everyone in between. Rooted in the coaching philosophy that has helped millions take their first steps forward, it’s about finding the courage to cross the starting lines in your... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
Elsewhere:
$3799
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Releases 27th July 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "This Is About Running, This Is Not About Running" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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From the Nike Running Global Head Coach Chris Bennett, this is a book for current, former and wannabe runners and anyone in between – a book about running and how it pertains to life, and life and how it pertains to running. Full of motivational and inspirational lessons, this book teaches us that we're all capable of becoming runners.

The inspirational exercise guide from the Global Head Coach at Nike

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From Nike Running’s Global Head Coach Chris Bennett comes a bold, welcoming book for runners, non-runners, and everyone in between. Rooted in the coaching philosophy that has helped millions take their first steps forward, it’s about finding the courage to cross the starting lines in your life.

 

This Is About Running. This Is Not About Running. is a deeply motivating, funny, and unexpectedly moving book about what happens when we dare to step up to the starting lines in our lives. Drawing on the philosophy that has inspired millions around the world, Coach Bennett reframes running not as a test of speed, distance, or competition―but as a practice in showing up, moving forward, and discovering what’s possible when you take a chance on yourself.

 

With his signature mix of positivity, pop-culture wisdom, and back-to-basics insight, Bennett strips away the pressure that keeps so many people stuck. Instead, he offers a refreshing invitation: you don’t have to be fast, fit, or fearless to be a runner. You just have to start. And once you do, running has a way of teaching you about far more than running: about resilience, confidence, self-trust, and the quiet power of momentum.

 

Whether you’re lacing up for the first time, returning after years away, or simply looking for a new way to think about progress, this book is a reminder that forward is forward, and that something extraordinary can happen when you take that first step.

 

Because the best running isn’t really about running at all.

 

It’s about life.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780008795009

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 September 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: William Collins

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 270g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Chris Bennett is the Global Head Coach of Nike Running. He leads coaching strategy, the development of guided-runs, and community experiences such as the Nike Run Club app, which reaches millions of runners around the world. He is known for his approachable and inclusive coaching philosophy, emphasising that 'everyone is a runner'. Focusing as much on mindset and habit as on performance metrics, he encourages runners of all levels to show up, reflect, and keep moving forward.

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