New Release

By Dimity McDowell

On Sale: Feb 24, 2026
Page Count: 288 pages
Publisher: Balance
ISBN-13: 9780306837364

$11.99

$15.99 CAD

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From a former contributing editor at Runner’s World, a narrative-driven prescriptive book on reckoning with the end of an athletic journey—and what comes next.

On January 18, 2020, Dimity McDowell unknowingly went on her last run. The deceleration of her running career began three years before that, following a medical visit which ended in the assessment that she should not run anymore. She should have quit then and there. But running is not like other hobbies; the sport anchored major parts of her identity, including her career, self-image, and mental health. This is true for so many runners (who are legion: about 50 million Americans participate in some form of running or jogging). And many of them will have to grudgingly hang up their sneakers at some point.

This is the story of anyone who lives and breathes the pavement—and has to give it up. The 27th Mile focuses on the time when running—or any other physical pursuit that anchored your daily life and self-identity—is no longer a healthy choice because of injury, chronic pain, or illness.

While The 27th Mile is anchored in Dimity’s personal journey, as one of the founders of the popular website Another Mother Runner, she taps into her vast network to share stories from others who have been there, as well as expert advice for empathy and wisdom to help guide readers to the next chapter of their athletic identity.

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“Every runner’s nightmare: the day when it ends, when the body says the glory days are gone or even worse, when it says ‘no more’. It’s like losing your best friend. Preparation is everything so read this now!”

Kathrine Switzer, pioneering marathon runner and author
“The 27th Mile captures the deeply personal moment when the thing that once defined you is suddenly out of reach. Dimity writes with honesty, humor, and so much heart. This book is a companion for anyone navigating the loss of a long-held identity—and a hopeful guide to discovering who you are beyond what you do. It is tender, wise, and profoundly relatable.”
Siri Lindley, World Champion Triathlete, coach, and author
“This is not just a book; The 27th Mile offers a community in which we rethink our relationship with running and are given both tools and permission to thrive with or without it.”

Deena Kastor, Olympic Medalist, New York Times bestselling author of Let Your Mind Run
“The 27th Mile speaks to the heart of every athlete who’s had to pause, pivot, or let go. It’s a compassionate guide for rediscovering yourself when running no longer defines you—and proof that there’s still joy and purpose beyond the miles.”
Elyse Kopecky, three-time New York Times bestselling coauthor, Run Fast. Eat Slow, Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow, and Rise & Run
“As any runner knows, not being able to run, or moving on from a running career, is one of the hardest and painful things that can be experienced. As a woman hanging on to her running by a thread, I am comforted to know that there is a guide waiting for me when I reach the end.”
Kara Goucher, two-time Olympian and author of Strong
“Dimity McDowell’s The 27th Mile is far more truthful and helpful than that old runners’ canard, “There is no finish line.” In fact, we all stop running at some point--whether from burnout, injury, or aging. McDowell understands that we must grieve first, but then get going again. You don’t have to keep running; you must keep moving. Sadness gives way to revival and new life-sustaining practices. Yes, you can.”
Amby Burfoot, 1968 Boston Marathon winner/longtime Runner's World editor/author, Run Forever
“Nearly every runner will, at some time or another, find themselves unable to run due to injury or other unwanted circumstances. In The 27th Mile, Dimity McDowell put words to the grief that runners feel when they’re forced to give up an activity that’s so much more than mere exercise, it’s also a source of community, identity, and release. THE 27th MILE offers comfort, commiseration and useful coping advice to waylaid runners. Whether their break from running is temporary or permanent, runners involuntarily separated from their beloved sport will find support and a sense of hope in McDowell’s book.”

Christie Aschwanden, author of Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery
“Runners tie their identities to their hobby like few others. It serves us well—until it doesn’t. Then what? The grief and loss are real when running is no longer an option. The 27th Mile is the gentle, kind, and sound advice we didn’t know we needed in order to move on to the next phase of life.”

Erin Strout, journalist and author
“So many titles exist about the joy of running or how to become a runner, but rarely has there existed a book honoring the choice and/or necessity to take leave of the sport. Not only does she pay homage to all that the sport has done for her and her community, but Dimity also takes time and space to honor her own body and spirit, inviting other longtime runners to offer their stories as well. When you are ready to make that decision, make sure to read this first.”

Mirna Valerio, runner, adventurer, and author of A Beautiful Work in Progress

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Dimity McDowell

About the Author

Growing up in Minnesota, Dimity McDowell hated running; in fact, the only time she ran was during the shuttle run and mile‑test in the Presidential Physical Fitness Tests. She never received a certificate of high performance from the White House. She was recruited to the rowing team in college—height is an asset in crew—and found her athletic groove. Her first semi‑enjoyable run was a two‑mile trot to the boathouse. When she moved to New York City after graduation, running took center stage; her salary as an editorial assistant barely covered the rent, let alone a gym membership. She lapped Central Park hundreds of times and ran her first (of two) marathons: the 1997 New York City Marathon. While in New York City, Dimity worked on staff for Women’s Sports + Fitness, Self, ESPN: The Magazine, and Sports Illustrated for Women before going freelance.

McDowell enjoyed a vibrant freelance career, specializing in sports and fitness, before the internet devoured most print versions of magazines. In 2007, McDowell, then the mother of a four and one‑year‑old, and a colleague and mother of three kids under five, Sarah Bowen Shea, trained for and ran the Nike Women’s Marathon. They were dubbed the “Marathon Moms,” and blogged about their training for the Runner’s World website and wrote a feature for the print magazine, which turned into their first book Run Like a Mother (Andrews McMeel, 2010).

McDowell and Shea set out to cultivate a virtual community of like‑minded women who could support and inspire each other, which turned into their company, Another Mother Runner. As the community grew in strength, so did AMR; the duo penned two more books, started a podcast, designed training programs with busy women in mind, and offered retreats.

Today, McDowell lives in Denver with her husband, her two kids, and two dogs. Despite no longer running, she loves going on epic day hikes and bike rides. Heeding the advice she often gives the Another Mother Runner community, she just keeps moving forward.

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Dimity McDowell

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