'Nothing but your own body will get you through; everything you have done in your life until the moment you cross the finishing line is connected to the effort'

Two hours, to cover 26 miles and 385 yards. It is running's Everest, once seen as impossible. But now we can glimpse the mountain-top.

Caesar takes us into the world of the greatest marathoners on earth. He traces the history as well as the science and psychology of running, showing us why this race retains its savage, enthralling appeal - and why we are drawn to test ourselves to the limit.

'Two Hours explodes out of the blocks, continues at a terrific clip, never flags and breasts the tape victorious, its arms in the air. Like the best foot races, it is tight, pacy and riveting. Like the best stories, it is about an apparently impossible journey. Give the man a medal.' - Esquire

'A delight to read. The definitive book on professional marathon running.' - Independent on Sunday

'Ed Caesar's reportage has the feel of the very best of American journalism - as if he has researched the matter to hell, spent his time in the field, nailed down every fact, then bashed it out on a typewriter with a cigarette smouldering in his mouth.' - Sunday Times

'Beautiful.' - New York Times

'Two Hours is a kind of 'Hoop Dreams' for runners.' - Spectator

'I didn't think any book could make me interested in marathon running. Two Hours did that and much more. Ed Caesar's in-depth reporting explores one of sport's ultimate questions: is there a final human boundary and, if so, where? A terrific book: elegant, engaging and rewarding.' - Ed Smith, former England cricketer and author of Luck

About the Author
Ed Caesar is a thirty-five year-old British non-fiction writer. His stories have been published by The New Yorker, The New York Times, GQ and The Sunday Times. The winner of nine major journalism awards, he was named Journalist of the Year for 2014 by the Foreign Press Association. His subjects have included conflict in central Africa, the world's longest tennis match and tracking down stolen art. Two Hours is his first book.