Review of "This Is Not About Running"

Mary Cain’s rise in running was meteoric, but the story behind it is far more complicated. In this memoir, she pulls back the curtain on the pressures and abuses that shaped her teenage years. It’s a revealing look at how easily talent can be exploited.

Title/Author:

“This Is Not About Running” by Mary Cain

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (Very Good)

Review: 

Mary Cain’s story is sadly not uncommon. An elite runner discovered at age 12, she gained even more notice in high school as she shattered records previously held by professional athletes. At 16, she joined the elite Nike Oregon Project after being recruited by Alberto Salazar. But her experience there — and even with her high school teammates — was far from happy. She writes about those years in this memoir.

While the book’s title says it’s not about running, that’s both true and false. The most powerful sections deal with the treatment Mary received: coaches insisting that at 120 pounds she was too heavy, and the eating disorders and mental health crises that followed. Things became so severe she considered suicide and began cutting. The writing is fine, though at times it leans more toward venting than deep self-reflection. It’s never easy to write about one’s own mental health, so some grace is warranted, but it’s not the strongest memoir I’ve read on that subject.

The parts that are about running are compelling as well. Readers get a sense of what it’s like to train and compete at an elite level. Because we only have Mary’s perspective, many of these interactions come across as negative — and in most cases, justifiably so. The clearest examples come from her high school years. As she broke records and drew attention, one teammate’s mother began harassing Mary and her parents, convinced Mary was stealing the spotlight from her daughter. Mary suggests this mother was living vicariously through her child because of her own running background. Whether that’s true or not, it’s at least an explanation.

Then, of course, there are the issues with the Nike Oregon Project. Mary previously published an editorial in The New York Times detailing the mental abuse, the eating problems, and the toll on her mental health — but she never mentioned sexual abuse, even though she often spent time at Salazar’s house and describes several moments where they were alone. Given the later allegations against Salazar and his fall from grace, readers may wonder whether the memoir tells the full story of their relationship or whether some things were intentionally left unsaid.

Overall, this is a strong exposé of what the Nike Oregon Project did to Mary and, as she explains, the broader exploitation of young athletes. Hopefully her story contributes to further reforms beyond those already underway.

I wish to thank Mariner Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link:  This Is Not About Running: A Memoir: Cain, Mary: 9780063441880: Amazon.com: Books