The 27th Mile

Former contributing editor at Runner's World and author Dimity McDowell's narrative-driven prescriptive book on reckoning with the end of an athletic journey-and what's next.

On January 18, 2020, Dimity McDowell unknowingly went on her last run. The deceleration of her running career began three years before that, following a medical visit which ended in the assessment that she should not run anymore. She should have quit then and there. But running is not like other hobbies; the sport anchored major parts of her identity, including her career, self-image, and mental health. Even though she had never finished on a medal podium in her life, she devoted much of her time to thinking, living, and breathing the run. This is true for so many runners (who are legion: about 50 million Americans participate in some form of running or jogging). And many of them will have to grudgingly hang up their sneakers at some point. This is the story of anyone who lives and breathes the pavement-and has to give it up.

The 27th Mile focuses on the time when running-or any other physical pursuit that anchored your daily life and self-identity-is no longer a healthy choice because of injury, chronic pain, or illness. While The 27th Mile is anchored in Dimity's personal journey, as one of the founders of the popular website Another Mother Runner, she taps into her vast network to share stories from others who have been there, as well as expert advice for empathy and wisdom to help guide readers to the next chapter of their athletic identity.