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  • Two Hours

  • The Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon
  • By: Ed Caesar
  • Narrated by: Bryan Dick
  • Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (78 ratings)
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Two Hours cover art

Two Hours

By: Ed Caesar
Narrated by: Bryan Dick
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Summary

The marathon tethers runners to their own personal narratives. It is a question of how you grow. Nothing but your own body will get you through; everything you have done in your life until the moment you cross the finishing line is connected to the effort.

Two hours to cover 26 miles and 385 yards. It is running's Everest, a feat once seen as impossible for the human body. But now we can glimpse the mountaintop.

The sub-two-hour marathon will require an exceptional feat of speed, mental strength and endurance. The pioneer will have to endure more, live braver, plan better, and be luckier than his forebearers. So who is he?

In this spellbinding book, Ed Caesar takes us into the world of the elite of the elite: the greatest marathoners on Earth. Through the stories of these rich characters and their troubled lives, he traces the history of the marathon as well as the science, physiology, and psychology involved in running so fast for so long. And he shows us why this most democratic of races retains its savage, enthralling appeal - why we are drawn to test ourselves to the limit.

This book will be enjoyed by readers of Born to Run, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running and Running with the Kenyans.

Ed Caesar is a 34-year-old British nonfiction writer. His stories have been published by The New York Times, GQ, The Sunday Times, and Smithsonian Magazine. The winner of six major journalism awards - including a British Press Award, a Foreign Press Association Media Award, and PPA Writer of the Year - his subjects have included conflict in central Africa, the world's longest tennis match, and tracking down stolen art. Two Hours is his first book.

©2015 Ed Caesar (P)2015 Audible, Ltd.

What listeners say about Two Hours

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  • Overall
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  • R
  • 22-07-15

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Would you consider the audio edition of Two Hours to be better than the print version?

If not read the print version but felt once the narrator got into it he was very enjoyable

What other book might you compare Two Hours to, and why?

1:59 is a similar topic but two different books. I'd say this one is is better.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Near the beginning he sounded like he was finding his feet but professional performance

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Two hours

This was a really enjoyable listen. Would recommend to anyone interested in the subject to read it and read it soon since it might become obsolete in the near future. Couple of things were missing from the book. First, it didn’t really talk about women running marathon and I think this deserved a space in this book. Second, the two hour limit to marathon running has been broken by Eliud Kipchoge in 2019 and the book should be updated to include that as well. Otherwise great listen, fantastic narration.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

Inspiring what Kenyan runners go through in races and in growing up! Great read, worth it

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • MB
  • 19-06-18

Pleasure to listen

The book is well written and perfectly narrated. Finished it in a couple of days. Hoping for a follow up edition a few years later on.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen, great stories

Enjoyed listening to this while running, great narrator with interesting stories about the world's fastest marathon runners so far.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Dissapointing

Because I enjoy books about running I liked this. However, it really doesn't have much to say about the 2 hour challenge. This is part history of the marathon, part biography of Geoffrey Mutai and neither part feels any more than cursory.

Not really worth the money.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Life changing

I have loved this audio book because describes very interesting facts and issues of the marathon. The stile and performance of the narrator help to enjoy it

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Well worth a read

A good book, seemed to go a little dead in the middle with a bit too much history for my liking I would have preferred a little more on Mutai's training and working towards the sub 2 hour marathon.

If you haven't read "Running with the Kenyans" I'd highly recommend it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Inspiring engaging

A little bit of a love story to mutai but very inspiring and enjoyable. Made me want to run which is why I bought it. Not sure I'll break two hours mind

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