Please forgive this unsolicited intrusionl – it will not be followed by any others – but if you read Andy Blackford's exploits in his Finish Line column for Runner's World magazine, then you’re in for a treat. His new book, Running on Empty, is a collection of his best offerings from the last 20 years.
And if you’re not already a Blackford devotee, this is the perfect opportunity to catch up.
Running on Empty is probably the funniest running book ever – if only because it’s probably the only funny running book ever.
It’s the story of one man's devotion to a sport for which he had no aptitude whatsoever. It records his battles with injury, his experiments with diets and equipment, and his participation in lunatic events that have had him running up the Himalayas, across the Sahara, onto the Greenland ice-cap and through the Amazonian rainforest.
Andy has inspired two generations of runners, many of whom have followed his example in accepting hugely-serious challenges without ever taking them too seriously.


Running on Empty is published at the beginning of March by SportsBooks Ltd for £7.99.
If you want to buy Running on Empty go to your nearest bookshop, or log-on to www.sportsbooks.ltd.uk and go to the Athletics section, or send a cheque for £7.99  (made out to SportsBooks Ltd) to:
SportsBooks LtdPO Box 422CheltenhamGL50 2YN
Postage is included for the UK but add £3 for Europe and £5 for the rest of the world.
Or you can order by phone – 01242 256755
Randall NorthamSportsBooks Ltd