Categories: Leadership | Sports | Wellness & Health
Travels from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Christopher McDougall is a veteran New York Times war correspondent, runner and author of the best seller Born to Run which narrates McDougall’s incredible experience among the barefoot-running Tarahumaras in Mexico.
Christopher McDougall, credited with starting the barefoot-running movement, is the author of the New York Times bestseller Born to Run. An ex-athlete who overcame the challenge of a lifetime, a 50-mile race through Mexico's Copper Canyon, McDougall speaks dynamically about his epic adventure with the Tarahumaras, an indigenous group living in the state of Chihuahua, and the secrets he learned from them.
Christopher McDougall’s epic journey began with a persistent foot ailment that prevented him from running long distances. In his search for a remedy, he ended up in Mexico’s Copper Canyon, where he lived with the reclusive Tarahumaras, the world’s greatest distance runners. Able to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury, these barefoot runners seemed to know secrets that eluded McDougall in his own training. Although he had been told by doctors that he would never run again, McDougall was ultimately able to overcome his injury, find his own inner ultra-athlete, and join the tribe for the challenge of a lifetime, a 50-mile race through the canyons.
With the publication of Born to Run, Christopher McDougall has been credited with sparking the biggest innovation in modern sportswear: the barefoot-running movement. He is an engaging and inspirational speaker who lectures on how he overcame the mental and physical challenges of being an athlete, all while partaking in the adventure of a lifetime. McDougall’s message resonates with anyone facing a challenge, and, consequently, he speaks to diverse groups, from university students to fitness enthusiasts and corporate executives.
Christopher McDougall earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. A former war correspondent for the Associated Press, McDougall is a three-time National Magazine Award finalist. He is also the author of Natural Born Heroes: Mastering the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance and Running with Sherman: The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero. McDougall writes for Outside, Men's Health, New York and other magazines. His other, equally intriguing book, is Girl Trouble: The True Saga of Superstar Gloria Trevi and the Secret Teenage Sex Cult That Stunned the World.
