Better Faster Farther

May 1, 2024
A multidisciplinary study proving the capability of women as runners. Falsehoods about women runners have persisted for centuries. From the myth of Atalanta to the story of Jasmin Paris (the first woman to win the U.K.'s 268-mile Spine Race), journalist Mertens tells a host of fascinating stories about women running greats who have disproved the naysayers. These women, whether legendary or long forgotten, confronted a range of stereotypes and paternalistic reasoning from professionals who focused only on their fertility and femininity, misrepresented or belittled their accomplishments, questioned their mental health and toughness, and even debated their identities as women. Chronicling these women's relentless pursuit of inclusion in competitive running events, Mertens regains control of the narrative of female runners--and female athletes more broadly. Combining science with sociology and history, the author applies journalistic investigation to training regimes, racism in sports, evolution-based calls for gender segregation, and debates about gender identity. She strikes an almost bitingly bemused tone to temper her outrage, taking steady aim at the maddeningly intentional attitudes and policies of medical and sports authorities who have chased research to support their claims. In a field where even Mertens has to consciously correct the temptation to make reductive assumptions, she reveals the harm caused by female runners' detractors, who have been lazy at best. Dismantling inaccuracies about women and their bodies, the author demonstrates what we can learn about all humans, and she suggests how that has repercussions not only in sports, but elsewhere in society. "Women are speaking out about themselves, saying we don't have to look or act a certain way in order to be accepted in society," she writes. "Nor do we need to be defined in opposition to men. We can define ourselves, thank you very much. And, yes, we can beat men." Illuminating, informative, and inspiring.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2024
Award-winning journalist Mertens takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the myth of gender roles that set limitations on women's participation in athletics, aptly summarized in the opening sentence, "Women have always been able to run, but men have been trying to convince us for centuries that we can't." Topics range from the Olympics, racism, female-specific injuries, motherhood, and hyperandrogenism and transgender athletes. One strong point here is that Mertens doesn't try to be comprehensive; instead, she keys in on topics and pioneers like Alice Milliat, who founded the Women's World Games; Greek runner Stamata Revithi, who ran the 1896 Olympic Marathon course ""unofficially,"" followed decades later by Bobbi Gibb, the first woman who ""unofficially"" ran the Boston Marathon. The fame experienced by Sir Roger Bannister, who broke the four-minute barrier for the mile, compared to overlooked Diane Leather, the first woman to run a sub-five-minute mile that same month, provides a stark contrast. This insightful, well-researched book captures the struggles of female athletes who blazed a path for all who run in their footsteps, proving sports can, indeed, be a positive vehicle for social change.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.