Outrunning the Demons

Book excerpt: THE RUNNING AWARDS – BEST CHRISTMAS BOOK 'an inspiring collection of stories about runners who have run through unimaginable adversity to find perspective, resolution and ultimately peace, within themselves and with the universe.' - Dean Karnazes 'a really good book ... with fascinating stories' – BBC Radio Four, Today Programme ---- Hope through running... Written by bestselling author Phil Hewitt, Outrunning the Demons is an exploration of the transformative power of running – and how it can be the key to unlocking resilience we never knew we had. Running can take us to fantastic places. Just as importantly, it can also bring us back from terrible ones. For people in times of crisis, trauma and physical or mental illness – when normality collapses – running can put things back together again. After bestselling author Phil Hewitt was viciously mugged, stabbed and left for dead in 2016, he found himself suffering the acute symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Unable to make sense of the horrific experience that had happened to him, Phil found that dedicating himself to running was slowly but surely helping him heal. Outrunning the Demons is an enriching and celebratory exploration of the transformative power of running – and how it can be the key to unlocking resilience we never knew we had. Told through 34 deeply affecting real-life stories and covering such diverse themes as trauma, bereavement, addiction, depression and anxiety, this compelling book is an exposition of just why running can so often be the answer to everything when we find ourselves in extremis.