A terrific read. Exciting, informative, but most of all, motivating. You'll have a hard time reading it and not wanting to hit the trail

Jurek and his wife team up to tell the story of how he beat the record for fastest through hike in the Appalachian Trail. Jurek is a famous ultramarathoner and this feat involved the equivalent of running a marathon every day for a week. While we get a sense of the mental and physical strength necessary to successfully complete such a challenge. However, he was not able to do this unaided. His wife offers glimpses of the support team behind Jurek's endeavor and this helps in creating a more complete picture of what it takes to succeed if anyone else decides to try to break his record.

I have read many stories of the challenges the Appalachian Trail offers hikers, but this is the first time that I read a story about someone who does not hike it to commune with nature. Nevertheless, it combines the elements of a traditional through hike narrative with those of books in which elite athletes explain their training regiment.

*received a digital copy via Net Galley in exchange for my review, but I would have gotten my hands on this book one way or the other anyway*

Having read Jurek's "Eat and Run" several years ago and a 2010 AT Thru Hikers (2011 Florida Trail thru hiker) I was really looking forward to this book. When Jurek was going after the FKT I was a bit disappointed that Jennifer Pharr Davis wasn't going to get to hold her record for as long as I would have liked---having a female at the top of the record list was awesome!

But reading through 'North' showed just how much of a badass JPD was in the first place, when even an elite, ultrarunner like Jurek had difficulty tacking the AT. I enjoyed reading about the experiences through both Scott and Jenny's eyes, though at times their accounts seemed to jump back and forth between trail locations and I would get confused for a few minutes before Jenny's account to get up to speed with Scott's location. I was also just as frustrated with Jenny's recounting of how many people were being creepy to her on the trail and the amount of runners with no boundaries or manners coming to try to hike with Scott. Several #metoo moments in there.

There were several moments when Jurek wrote about the trail and he put into words some thoughts I definitely agreed with and I also got chills when they arrived at the Golden Road and saw Katahdin up close. It's a majestic view and one you want to savor.

“Imagine running 84 marathons. Consecutively.”

That’s what running legend Scott Jurek asks you to do in his newest book, North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail.

It comes out April 10, 2018.

Warning: if you know nothing about Jurek and Appalachian Trail records, then there are spoilers in this review.

In 2011, Jennifer Pharr Davis thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes. That’s an average of 76 km (47 miles) per day.

North is about how (and why) Scott Jurek beat that record on July 12, 2015.

Scott Jurek finished 3 hours and 12 minutes faster than Davis.
Jurek’s wife, Jenny Jurek, likes to call her husband Jurker. Meanwhile, he likes to call her Jlu (pronounced “jay-loo”). Jenny supported Scott throughout his race.

Other running legends, such as David Horton and Karl Meltzer (aka Speedgoat), also encourage Scott in key parts of his attempt.

Jurek’s literary agent, Richard Pine, pushed Jurek to write another book. Jurek doesn’t drag his feet when he’s running but he sure did when it came to writing this book. It’s now three years since he set the record—it’s
already ancient history.

A year after Jurek’s record, Karl Meltzer (aka Speedgoat) ran the Appalachian Trail southbound in 45 days, 22 hours, and 38 minutes—that’s 10 hours faster than Jurek. He was 48 years old when he pulled that off.

Just like Speedgoat helped Jurek set the record, Jurek returned the favor, thereby showing great sportsmanship.

In 2017, a year after Speedgoat’s record, a 26-year-old named Joe McConaughy (aka Stringbean) raised the bar even further by finishing in 45 days, 12 hours and 15 minutes—that’s 10 hours faster than Meltzer and 20 hours faster than Jurek.

What’s remarkable is that McConaughy wasn’t just his 48-mile-per-day average but that he did it unsupported, unlike Jurek and Meltzer. He beat the previous unsupported recorded by nine days.

In short, McConaughy has the story most thru-hikers want to hear. Nearly all thru-hikers are unsupported and proud of it. Ultra-runners are a different species.

Although Jurek’s Appalachian Trail run is old news, it’s still a fascinating tale for those who are either into ultra-running or thru-hiking.

Indeed, if you’re not into ultra-running or thru-hiking, you will probably find North boring. It’s a blow-by-blow account of his many challenges. For those who are familiar with the Appalachian Trail, thru-hiking, or ultra-running, you’ll identify with what he’s saying. Others will not.

Therefore, for the Appalachian Trail fan, thru-hiker, or ultra-runner, it’s 9/10 stars.
For others, wait for McConaughy’s book (if it ever comes). Or wait until the next speed freak sets a new record.

Disclosure: The publisher gave me an advanced copy with the hope that I would write an honest review.