Running with Sherman: The Donkey Who Survived Against All Odds and Raced Like a Champion by Christopher McDougall is out now from Jonathan Ball Publishers.

When barefoot running guru Christopher McDougall takes in a neglected donkey, his aim is to get Sherman back to reasonable health. But Sherman is ill-tempered, obstinate and uncooperative – and it’s clear his poor treatment has made him deeply fearful of humans.

Chris knows that donkeys need a purpose – they are working, pack animals – and so when he learns of the sport of Burro Racing or running with donkeys, he sets out to give Sherman something worth living for.

With the aid of Chris’s menagerie on his farm in rural Pennsylvania, his wife Mika and their friends and neighbours including the local Amish population, Sherman begins to build trust in Chris. To give him a purpose, they start to run together. But what Sherman gains in confidence and meaning is something we all need: a connection with nature, the outdoors, with movement. And as Chris learns, the side benefits of exercise and animal contact are surprising, helping with mental and physical health in unexpected ways.

About the author

Christopher McDougall is a former war correspondent for the Associated Press and author of the international bestseller Born to Run, which is currently being adapted into a film, and Natural Born Heroes. He runs with Sherman among the Amish farms around his home in rural Pennsylvania.

Categories International Non-fiction

Tags Born to Run Christopher McDougall Jonathan Ball Publishers New books New releases Running with Sherman