The Meaning of Endurance: Anthropologist Michael Crawley on Why We Run

What drives us as humans to push our physical and mental limits in endurance events?

Michael Crawley is a 2:20 marathoner, professor of anthropology at Durham University, and author of the new book To the Limit: The Meaning of Endurance From Mexico to the Himalayas.

We talk about:

• The collective nature of running culture
• Why we voluntarily sign up for exhausting endurance activities
• An evolutionary perspective on running
• Technology's role in modern running
• Incorporating endurance into daily life
• How Michael's personal endurance approach has changed through his book research

Send this episode to your running friend who's also a history or culture nerd, and make sure they subscribe to the Strength Running Podcast!

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Michael's latest book, To the Limit: The Meaning of Endurance from Mexico to the Himalayas

• His previous book, Out of Thin Air

• Follow Michael on Twitter, Instagram, or Bluesky

• Get a free mindset training for runners.

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