FEATURED POET/WRITER

Bernd Heinrich

Bernd Heinrich is a scientist, naturalist, competitive marathon runner, and best-selling author of over twenty books, many of which include his own drawings. He is Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Vermont, has received the John Burrough’s Medal for Nature Writing, and has been nominated for a National Book Award for Science. Most of his books are about nature and the environment, on topics such as birds, insects, mammals, seasons, and science. Two of his most popular books are on one of his primary subjects, the raven. But Bernd also writes about life, death, family and, most recently, his personal relationship with running. His latest book, Racing the Clock, is part memoir and part scientific investigation into running and aging.

Latest Release: Racing the Clock (Published by Ecco, July 2021)

Heinrich’s inspiring new memoir combines personal anecdote with Heinrich’s research on the science of running and its relationship with aging. Heinrich reflects on his experiences as a marathon runner who won his first marathon in San Francisco at age 39 and a year later won the Boston Marathon. He explores the connections between metabolism, diet, exercise, and age, questioning how much control we have over the process of aging and how we can adapt to the ways our bodies change over time.

In Racing the Clock, Heinrich addresses broad ideas of evolution, life, health, and happiness while also taking readers along his journey to competing in what he says will be his last race, a fifty-kilometer race at 80-years-old.

Praise for Racing the Clock: Running Across A Lifetime

“Passionate meditations on the pleasures and pains of a lifetime of running, with greatest appeal to fellow runners.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Heinrich delivers a powerful reflection on his decades of competitive running that’s nicely colored by an exploration of the effects of aging on the human body. . . . Heinrich’s keen observations and unique story will keep readers hooked.”
— Publishers Weekly

“[A] tender memoir...An appealing account of a life spent observing and enjoying nature and frequently running within it.” — Booklist