This Is About Running. This Is Not About Running.: Lessons for Between and Beyond the Start and Finish Line – A Philosophy on Resilience, Self-Trust, and Moving Forward

From Nike Running’s Global Head Coach Chris Bennett comes a bold, welcoming book for runners, non-runners, and everyone in between. Rooted in the coaching philosophy that has helped millions take their first steps forward, it’s about finding the courage to cross the starting lines in your life.

This Is About Running. This Is Not About Running. is a deeply motivating, funny, and unexpectedly moving book about what happens when we dare to step up to the starting lines in our lives. Drawing on the philosophy that has inspired millions around the world, Coach Bennett reframes running not as a test of speed, distance, or competition—but as a practice in showing up, moving forward, and discovering what’s possible when you take a chance on yourself.

With his signature mix of positivity, pop-culture wisdom, and back-to-basics insight, Bennett strips away the pressure that keeps so many people stuck. Instead, he offers a refreshing invitation: you don’t have to be fast, fit, or fearless to be a runner. You just have to start. And once you do, running has a way of teaching you about far more than running: about resilience, confidence, self-trust, and the quiet power of momentum.

Whether you’re lacing up for the first time, returning after years away, or simply looking for a new way to think about progress, this book is a reminder that forward is forward, and that something extraordinary can happen when you take that first step.

Because the best running isn’t really about running at all.

It’s about life.

Chris Bennett is the Global Head Coach of Nike Running. Known globally as Coach Bennett, his guided runs, podcasts, newsletter and coaching at events all around the world have been used and celebrated by tens of millions of athletes. His training programs have guided countless runners to cross their first starting lines as well as finish lines at every major running event around the world. He is known for his approachable, inclusive coaching philosophy: he emphasizes that “everyone is a runner,” focuses as much on the mindset and experience of the run and runner as performance metrics, and encourages runners of all levels to find their own starting lines, celebrate and support themselves, and keep moving forward.

Prior to working with Nike, Bennett was a high school history teacher that helped coach one of the most successful running programs in the United States. Bennett attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he captained the Tar Heels’ XC and Track teams. Post collegiately Chris spent five years competing for the Olympic Developmental Nike Farm Team based in Palo, Alto, CA at Stanford University. He currently lives in Oregon with his badass wife, Tammie, and three badass kids, Jack, Maggie and Emma.