Review of Running the Sahara

Ahñ Mèiã · Post by **Ahñ Mèiã** » 16 Nov 2021, 16:19

[Following is a volunteer review of "Running the Sahara" by Marcel Nickler.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Running the Sahara is an amazing, well-written, and short non-fiction book written by Marcel Nickler. In this book, he talks about his running life, from the reason that made him start running, the equipment he prepared before the marathon, to what he felt and realized, and the lessons he learned from all the challenges he faced. Thus, leading him to use the money he won the way he did.

The book describes mainly his running journey experience through the toughest marathon on earth, Marathon des Sables, which is a 251 kilometer six days marathon, held in the Moroccan Sahara. The author tells us the stories and events that occurred to him throughout every stage of this marathon, by recalling the six days and the thoughts that popped up in his head, and the lessons that he realized while at the desert, with beautiful descriptions of the area and photos at the end of the book, which gave life to the words and stories mentioned, helping the reader visualize and feel like he is with him on the journey. Moreover, in the last few pages of the book, there are equipment and food lists describing specifically what and the amount of the things he had taken with him, so the reader can also prepare if he wants to take part in the marathon too.

This part of the book's description when the author says: “I believe when dreams close, other dreams open, and that by setting goals and being disciplined, all of us can shift the balance and get to where we want to be”, captured me and the quote he used at the beginning of the book is so encouraging and motivating “Life is too short to waste time on second-class ambitions. Go for the big ones, even if that means a higher failure rate”. So, that got me excited to read the book.

Furthermore, there are many things that I like about the book: firstly, I like his beautiful storytelling writing style. It's easy to read and beautifully written. The use of the first-person narration and all the vivid descriptions, help the reader imagine living the events. Secondly, it was such a beautiful idea to write the names of the places and food in Arabic and translate them into English, explaining a bit about the culture. In my opinion, that was interesting! And lastly, I like his viewpoints considering discipline and positive thinking and how they are related to achieving dreams and goals, like when he said: “Willingness and discipline will shift what you perceive as limits, and you will gain the inspiration and energy you need for the future you see for yourself.” My favorite part in the book is the one titled “notes on running”. The wonderful words of wisdom make the reader contemplate and reflect on his own life too. Also, encourage him to take part in a race and go through this experience himself.

There is nothing that I disliked about the book. It was well-edited, and even though I found a couple of minor errors, still it wasn't so much distracting and I really enjoyed reading the book. Hence, I gladly rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It's a short but wonderful book and has meaningful lessons. It definitely deserves to be read. So accordingly, I recommend it to those who need motivation, whether to start running or take part in similar sports and challenges. Also, I believe that this book can be motivating and inspiring for dreamers and those who have big impossible goals.

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Running the Sahara
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markodim721 · Post by **markodim721** » 25 Nov 2021, 03:54

The book is very inspiring and the author is detailed when it comes to preparations for running an ultramarathon.

Ahñ Mèiã · Post by **Ahñ Mèiã** » 25 Nov 2021, 07:50

markodim721 wrote: ↑25 Nov 2021, 03:54 The book is very inspiring and the author is detailed when it comes to preparations for running an ultramarathon.

Yes! I really enjoyed reading it

shravsi · Post by **shravsi** » 26 Nov 2021, 07:37

This book seems quite helpful for readers who are into extreme running. This will be inspirational for people who are preparing for marathons. Great review.

Ahñ Mèiã · Post by **Ahñ Mèiã** » 26 Nov 2021, 16:55

shravsi wrote: ↑26 Nov 2021, 07:37 This book seems quite helpful for readers who are into extreme running. This will be inspirational for people who are preparing for marathons. Great review.

It's a great source of motivation for running indeed. Thank you

Astral Magi · Post by **Astral Magi** » 29 Nov 2021, 04:28

Exceedingly motivational. Thank you for a lovely review.

Ahñ Mèiã · Post by **Ahñ Mèiã** » 29 Nov 2021, 06:15

Niens Now wrote: ↑29 Nov 2021, 04:28 Exceedingly motivational. Thank you for a lovely review.

Thank you for your comment

Amynwankwo_ · Post by **Amynwankwo_** » 02 Dec 2021, 03:07

This sounds like an inspirational tale we can all learn something from. I believe it would also help marathon runners prepare properly. You have done well with this review. Good job. Ok

Ahñ Mèiã · Post by **Ahñ Mèiã** » 02 Dec 2021, 07:48

Amynwankwo_ wrote: ↑02 Dec 2021, 03:07 This sounds like an inspirational tale we can all learn something from. I believe it would also help marathon runners prepare properly. You have done well with this review. Good job. Ok

Thank you so much for your feedback ^^