Run the World

9 countries.11 pairs of running shoes.3,504 miles of running.Fresh off a successful collegiate running career?with NCAA All-American honors and an Olympic Trials appearance?Becky Wade was eager to connect with her counterparts across the world and to broaden her perspective on running: the oldest, purest, and most global of all sports. With the funding and support of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, Wade packed a year's worth of running clothes and shoes; said good-bye to her family and friends; and took off on a solo exploration of global running cultures.Wade's journey took her to England, Ireland, Switzerland, Ethiopia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, and Finland, each country with a unique running history and a community of local athletes and coaches who welcomed her into their homes and onto their teams. Over the course of the year, she ran more than 3,500 miles as she experimented with diverse training styles and discovered new recovery techniques. Whether riding around the streets of London with Olympic champion Usain Bolt, hiking for an hour at daybreak just to start a run on Ethiopia's Mount Entoto, or getting lost navigating the bustling streets of Tokyo, Wade's unexpected adventures capture the heartbeat of distance running around the world.