RUN THE WORLD My 3,500-Mile Journey Through Running Cultures Around the Globe

In 2012, Becky Wade, age 22, an elite NCAA runner, Olympic hopeful, and Thomas J. Watson Fellowship recipient, traveled the world to immerse herself in different running cultures, training methods, and recovery techniques. Narrator Allyson Ryan delivers the story of this year-long trip at a slow, almost lethargic, pace that undercuts Wade’s infectious zeal for running, travel, and learning. Ryan rarely strays from her monotone narration, making it a challenge to follow conversations or differentiate between assorted characters as Wade travels to England, Ireland, Switzerland, Ethiopia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, and Finland. It’s an inspiring story, but Ryan’s flat narration makes it difficult to engage with Wade’s emotional and physical journey. A.T.N. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2016]