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Published by 80/20 Publishing
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Al Howie’s monomaniacal pursuit of distance made him a legend. His demons made him human.
In the mid-1970s, Al Howie began showing up at the world’s longest footraces, sporting a wild mane of blond hair, a mangy beard, and white singlet that read “Hell’s Gate.” While most of the runners stretched and warmed up, Howie downed beer. When the gun sounded, he went out too hard, too fast—but won anyway. No one was surprised—Howie had run hundreds of miles just to get there.
Perpetually broke, Al Howie was part of a countercultural scene of hippie-vagabonds who stumbled into the golden age of multi-day racing. These dirtbag athletes ran hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles. But no one covered more ground than Howie. In 1991, he ran 4,474 miles across Canada in world-record time—72 days, 10 hours. Two weeks later, he entered a 1,300-mile race in Queens and broke the world record—his own.
Years later, Jared Beasley sets out to find this legendary runner. In Search of Al Howie takes readers on a surprising journey, uncovering bizarre aliases, fake IDs, and a multi-national kidnapping. Honest and raw, Howie's journey unfurls like an epic mystery of a tortured soul running for his life.
In the mid-1970s, Al Howie began showing up at the world’s longest footraces, sporting a wild mane of blond hair, a mangy beard, and white singlet that read “Hell’s Gate.” While most of the runners stretched and warmed up, Howie downed beer. When the gun sounded, he went out too hard, too fast—but won anyway. No one was surprised—Howie had run hundreds of miles just to get there.
Perpetually broke, Al Howie was part of a countercultural scene of hippie-vagabonds who stumbled into the golden age of multi-day racing. These dirtbag athletes ran hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles. But no one covered more ground than Howie. In 1991, he ran 4,474 miles across Canada in world-record time—72 days, 10 hours. Two weeks later, he entered a 1,300-mile race in Queens and broke the world record—his own.
Years later, Jared Beasley sets out to find this legendary runner. In Search of Al Howie takes readers on a surprising journey, uncovering bizarre aliases, fake IDs, and a multi-national kidnapping. Honest and raw, Howie's journey unfurls like an epic mystery of a tortured soul running for his life.
About The Author
Jared Beasley is an author and journalist who never expected to find himself embedded in the world of ultrarunning. A former actor with a degree in theatre and literature from The University of Alabama, he brings a human perspective to a sport that is at times rife with danger and denial. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Canadian Running, Outside, and he has a monthly column in Ultrarunning Magazine, "Detours of the Lost and Found." He’s been a featured guest on several podcasts, including Ultrarunner, Author’s Stories, Bad Boy Running, and The Shakeout Podcast.
Product Details
- Publisher: 80/20 Publishing (April 14, 2026)
- Length: 280 pages
- ISBN13: 9798990795877
Raves and Reviews
“A quirky, captivating biography... the pages fly by, like the miles beneath Howie's feet. [In Search of Al Howie] reveals the relationships, personal demons, and twists of fate that shaped Howie, rendering the legend fully human–fearful and driven, flawed but likable."
– Kirkus (starred review for 2019 edition)
“This moving biography will leave you yearning for a recent yet distant unplugged era in human-powered adventure.”
– Adventure Journal
"[In Search of Al Howie] is recommended, not just for runners, but for anyone who may be fascinated by the stories of the lives of people who accomplish unbelievable feats. Al Howie's life story as chronicled by Beasley is a legend of incomprehensible focus and determination."
– Athletics Illustrated
"Al Howie's story is one that richly deserved telling, and Jared Beasley does a commendable job in bringing it back to public attention."
– Ormsby Journal
"[Al Howie] was maniacally obsessed to the detriment of all those who loved him, but there is no doubt, that this myopic disposition is what made him one of the greatest mega distance runners of all time."
– Treeline Journal
Resources and Downloads
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