Running Ransom Road

Book excerpt: One man’s chronicle of his road to recovery as he quits drinking, puts on sneakers, and sweats his way through sobriety. Caleb Daniloff never set out to be a marathoner. Then again, he never set out to be a drunk, either. But after years of sobriety, he puts on a pair of running shoes and starts down a path that will lead him to compete in marathons across the world on a journey of self-discovery. As he runs from Boston to Vermont to Moscow, Daniloff draws lessons from the road and confronts the most destructive period in his life, completing races in each of the cities where he once lived and wreaked havoc. With each step, Daniloff is forced to face his issues rather than maneuver around them. And as he moves forward, he connects with others who have also taken up running on their path to recovery. At once a memoir of addiction, healing, and pushing past your limitations, Running Ransom Road is ultimately the poignant story of one man’s trek to a better life, one mile at a time—and “his captivating narrative describes a journey of personal redemption that, fortunately for us, he is willing to share” (Frank Shorter, Olympic marathon gold medalist). “Running Ransom Road is Caleb Daniloff’s unblinking, ultimately triumphant account of his journey from mean, hopeless drunk back to humanity and himself—through distance running. It’s a searing tale of spiritual redemption—one marathon, one mile, one brave, difficult step at a time.” —Steve Friedman, coauthor of New York Times bestseller Eat & Run and author of the memoir Lost on Treasure Island