Lifestyle, Sport & Leisure

Dirtbag dreams

A history of mountain, ultra and trail running

by Carl Morris

Description

The first book to share the untold story of this unique sport, from its origins in the Victorian era to the present day. Over the past two decades, mountain, ultra and trail running has experienced a massive boom in participation, media attention and corporate consumerism. Once little more than an oddball recreation for mountain athletics romantics, the sport has become a mass activity in ways that were previously unimaginable. In Dirtbag dreams, Carl Morris offers the first complete account of mountain, ultra and trail running in North America and Britain. Revealing the sport's eccentric Victorian origins, he traces its development through 200 years of history, travelling from the Sierra Nevada and the English Lake District to the streets of London and New York. Packed with gripping races and colourful characters, Dirtbag dreams is the essential companion for anyone who wants to understand this unique endurance sport.

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Rights Information

Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo [DRC], Congo, Republic of the, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Hongkong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, China, Macedonia [FYROM], Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Cyprus, Palestine, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Liechtenstein, Azerbaijan, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, Dominican Republic, Myanmar, Monaco

Reviews

Over the past two decades, mountain, ultra and trail running has experienced a massive boom in participation, media attention and corporate consumerism. Once little more than an oddball recreation for mountain athletics romantics, the sport has become a mass activity in ways that were previously unimaginable. In Dirtbag dreams, Carl Morris offers the first complete account of mountain, ultra and trail running in North America and Britain. Revealing the sport's eccentric Victorian origins, he traces its development through 200 years of history, travelling from the Sierra Nevada and the English Lake District to the streets of London and New York. Packed with gripping races and colourful characters, Dirtbag dreams is the essential companion for anyone who wants to understand this unique endurance sport.

Author Biography

Carl Morris is a sociologist, historian and social psychologist at the University of Central Lancashire. He has spent much of his life climbing and moving through the mountains, and over the last decade has become a committed fell and ultra runner.

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Manchester University Press

Manchester University Press

Manchester University Press is a leading UK publisher known for excellent research in the humanities and social sciences.

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Bibliographic Information

  • Publisher Manchester University Press
  • Publication Date November 2025
  • Orginal LanguageEnglish
  • ISBN/Identifier 9781526190185 / 1526190184
  • Publication Country or regionUnited Kingdom
  • FormatPrint PDF
  • Pages312
  • ReadershipGeneral/trade
  • Publish StatusPublished
  • Dimensions234 X 156 mm
  • Biblio NotesDerived from Proprietary 6542
  • Reference Code17749

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