Pain is inevitable, suffering optional

Author Haruki Murakami loves the loneliness of the long-distance run. Which is how he found himself tackling his 24th marathon. But what about his dodgy knee? Has he trained enough? And will the Rocky theme tune be playing in his head?

The novelist Haruki Murakami in Tokyo

The novelist Haruki Murakami in Tokyo. Photograph: Sutton-Hibbert/Rex Features

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Extract from What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami

This article appeared in the Guardian on Saturday June 07 2008 on p40 of the Features & comment section. It was last updated at 00.26 on June 07 2008.

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