Great Running Events

Hardcover and fully illustrated, this book is a treasure trove for running enthusiasts. It will showcase the top 26 most breathtaking and challenging marathon and running routes nationwide. It will take you on a journey through Australia's most iconic and diverse running courses – from the urban intensity of the Sydney Marathon to the rugged beauty of the Great Ocean Road and the remote challenge of the Outback Marathon. This best-of-the-best list highlights the courses that should be on every runner's bucket list.
Curated by James Knight, each course is detailed with insider information on the route's signature stretches, its unique history, and what makes it a must-run. Accompanied by stunning colour photography, this book will inspire runners to lace up and start planning their next marathon adventure.

About the Author

James Knight was nine years old when he competed in his first fun-run, the Gunnedah Gallop, in country New South Wales. Back then, 1977, he could never have known those eight kilometres would help lay the foundations for his lifelong love of distance running. As a boy, he spent countless hours legging it around his family's property on a course designed by his older brother, Lewis, who marked the route by tying torn pieces of an old bed sheet to trees and fenceposts.

James first ran a marathon in 2000. It was the Sydney Olympic Test Event. The following year, just two months after the 9-11 attacks in the United States, he participated in the New York Marathon. He has run fourteen marathons including the Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Gold Coast. He also completed the gruelling 2010 North Face 100, now known as Ultra Trail-Australia, in the Blue Mountains.

James equates his marathon efforts to writing books. Both are 'long and slow.' He has written thirteen non-fiction adult books, and three, including one fiction, for children. A former sports journalist spanning television, radio, newspapers and online, he has also been a TV commentator at the Melbourne and Gold Coast marathons. James lives in Canberra with his wife, Clare, son Iggy, and dog, Roger.