All in Stride

The inspiring stories of distance runners Elvin Kibet and Shadrack Kipchirchir and their determination to build meaningful lives as new American citizens.

Professional distance runners Elvin Kibet and Shadrack Kipchirchir grew up in rural Kenyan villages. Though their lives began in poverty, both were driven to reach their full potential, to gain an education and make a difference. And they would find their way to do just that through the high-pressure world of distance running.

In All in Stride, Johanna Garton tells the gripping and inspiring stories of Elvin and Shadrack. Beginning with their upbringing in Kenya, Garton follows the runners through their journeys to the United States, running for Division 1 universities, their blossoming romance as college students, and ultimately their service as U.S. soldiers and professional runners. Woven through the narrative is the story of Samantha Schultz, who also competed for the U.S. Army. Like Elvin and Shadrack, she struggled with several obstacles throughout her journey, including poor coaching, over training, the intense pressure to make the Olympic team, and disordered eating, a condition that plagues so many young female athletes.
More than just a running story, All in Stride takes readers behind the scenes to explore the difficulties Elvin and Shadrack faced, including adjusting to an entirely new culture in the U.S., bigotry and intolerance, the stresses and joys of global competitions like the Olympics, joining the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program, and discovering the ever-changing landscape of what it means to be an American.

Author Biography

Johanna Garton is a sportswriter and cross-country coach in Denver. She is the author of Edge of the Map,which chronicles the life of mountaineer Christine Boskoff, was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award, and is currently being developed into a feature film. Garton competed for Syracuse University and has run more than twenty marathons, including five finishes at the Boston Marathon. Learn more by visiting johannagarton.com.