The Race: The Inside Track on the Ruthless World of Elite Athletics

By: Gillick, David

An unflinching account of life as a world-class athlete, where training brutality meets hidden costs.

'A raw account of how savagely hard it is to be world class.' DERVAL O'ROURKE

'A story of triumph, record breaking and joy erased by injury, doubt, despair and darkness. A fascinating insight into the life of a world-class athlete.' JOHN TREACY

In The Race, David Gillick, one of Ireland's most successful 400m runners and best-loved athletics analysts, shares the inside story of life on the track. Dive into the real world of elite athletics where the stakes are high, the margins razor-thin and the cost often hidden.

From long odds to scarce funding, sky-high expectations and a constant fight to stay in the game mentally and physically, enter a world of brutal training, pressure to perform, burnout, and the ever-present shadow of doping and disillusionment.

Candid, compelling and written with clarity and bite, The Race goes beyond the medals to ask what happens when your entire life is defined by speed and what's left when the race is over.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1804586153
• ISBN13: 9781804586150
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Gill Books
• Length: 320 Pages