RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS has been shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award.

Adharanand Finn's RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS has been shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. This year's shortlist celebrates a wide range of sports, and was noted for being the most varied in the award's 24 year history. Other titles included in the shortlist are BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR by Simon Jordan and Rick Broadbent's THAT NEAR DEATH THING. 

The award has been running for 24 years, and in addition to the £24,000 cash prize, the winner will receive a £2,000 William Hill bet, a specially-commissioned hand-bound copy of their book, and a day at the races. The winner will be revealed on 26 November at a lunchtime reception at Waterstones Piccadilly (London). For more information on the William Hill Sports Award, please click here.

RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS is Adharanand's account of his time spent in Kenya to discover the soul of Kenyan long distance running. It is published by Faber and Faber in the UK and Ballantine in the USA.

Praise for RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS:

'A hugely inspiring story of what is possible when we dare to try.' -- Ruth Field, author of Run Fat Bitch Run 

'I've seldom read a better account of the exhilaration of running…what gives RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS its special appeal is Finn's charm…He's unusually engaging company both on and off the track.' -- Evening Standard

'engaging memoir…Part of the enjoyment of this book is the depiction of how the family takes to this new life. Finn's account of his two daughters' first day at a local school with vast class sizes depicts a blend of exhilaration and bewilderment. And the family, down to baby Ossian, moulds itself very patiently around Finn's near-obsessional six-month quest, not merely to uncover an athletic alchemical formula, but also to dramatically improve his own running in the process. For anyone who has ever run, this aspect of the book has a hypnotic aspect…Finn is good at depicting the intense focus needed for long distances…Finn's story is escapist and colourfully evocative…The book is populated with engagingly drawn characters and towards the end, Finn's quest - the burning need to attain a certain marathon time - is gripping.' -- Four Star Review, Sinclair McKay, The Telegraph

RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS longlisted for William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award

Adharanand Finn's sports memoir, RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS, documented his journey to Kenya to discover the soul of Kenyan long distance running.  Detailed accounts of training, poignant prose and well paced writing has struck a chord with running enthusiasts and readers alike and it is now longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year.

Victoria Pendleton's BETWEEN THE LINES, co-authored by Donald McRae, is also included in the longlist along with Simon Jordan's BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR. With a total of 14 titles, the longlist covers a range of sports including running, football, cycling, rugby, and cricket. The award has been running for 24 years, and in addition to the £24,000 cash prize, the winner will receive a £2,000 William Hill bet, a specially-commissioned hand-bound copy of their book, and a day at the races. The short list will be announced on 26 October, and the winner revealed on 26 November. For more information on the William Hill Sports Award, please click here.

RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS is published by Faber and Faber in the UK and Ballantine in the USA.

We are thrilled with the success of RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS and this well deserved recognition for an outstanding memoir.    

Praise for RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS:

'Finn's fascinating RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS teaches us how to run, and should be required reading for anyone planning their first fun run or marathon. In the tradition of the best sports writing he embedded himself fully in his subject and reveals, for the first time, just how close we are to the holy grail of the sub two-hour marathon.' -- Robin Harvie, author of WHY WE RUN

'...engaging memoir…Part of the enjoyment of this book is the depiction of how the family takes to this new life...For anyone who has ever run, this aspect of the book has a hypnotic aspect…Finn is good at depicting the intense focus needed for long distances…Finn's story is escapist and colourfully evocative…The book is populated with engagingly drawn characters and towards the end, Finn's quest - the burning need to attain a certain marathon time - is gripping.' -- Four Star Review, Sinclair McKay, The Telegraph

Adharanand Finn selected as one of The Guardian’s experts in Athletics for The Olympics

Adharanand Finn, journalist and author of RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS, is selected as one of The Guardian's experts in Athletics for The Olympics.  You can follow Adharanand on Twitter throughout the games that commence this Friday, 27 July. Please click here to view The Guardian's 'Olympics Experts' Network: the inside guide to London 2012' page, which will follow the tweets of several Olympic experts from Olympians, bloggers, coaches and up-and-coming athletes.

Adharanand went to Kenya with his family for six months at the beginning of 2011 to discover the soul of Kenyan long distance running. RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS, is his account of his time spent in Kenya, and is published by Faber and Faber in the UK and Ballantine in the USA.

Praise for RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS:

'...a heartfelt study of our urge to run…It's very lack of compulsion makes Finn a calm, humorous presence. In unobtrusively beautiful prose, he evokes the will to run at the heart of Kenyan life…In a year when the commercialism of sport will be an overwhelming, hectic presence, Finn quietly reminds us why running, 'this primal urge' that every child feels, is as mysteriously human as anything we do.' -- Rowland Manthorpe, The Sunday Telegraph

'Perfect background reading for the London 2012 Olympics, this inspiring book makes you feel for Finn's wife and family, even as you are filled with awe and incredulity by the author's steely determination.' -- Annabel Ford, Compass Magazine