The enduring fascination of the life of Eric Liddell is remarkable. It is remarkable because he was in many respects an ordinary soul. It is remarkable no doubt also because the lifestyle and faith that he espoused cannot be said to be popular or even well-understood in our sceptical and secular age. Most people would blink in genuine amazement at a man who sought seriously to live by the Bible and devote himself to the spread of its message. It seems outdated to so many; a curio; a vestige of a past age; a 'distant enchantment' - or perhaps nostalgia - for an era irretrievably lost, and yet ... there is the fascination concerning someone who seemed so guileless, yet so assured.

There are many biographies of sportsmen today. They seem to appear every week as sports' practitioners achieve celebrity status at an increasingly young age and are grist to the mill of a media-driven lust for the sensational. There are also many Christian biographies. There are very few which bring together the sporting and the Christian. But that is the case with Eric Liddell, and that at least in part, must account for the fascination. Another factor is this: that he achieved, posthumously, a celebrity status through being depicted in an award-winning movie - Chariots of Fire (1981).


Rev. John W. Keddie is the Minister of the Bracadale congregation of the Free Church of Scotland on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. He is also the author of Scottish Athletics, the Official Centenary Publication of the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association, 1883-1983, and was adviser to the film Chariots of Fire.


'Keddie's book is the first biography of Liddell I've read which gives quite as much detail of his sporting activities both on the track and on the rugby field in his golden sporting period of 1921-25. As you read the book you feel you are right in the thick of the action. I ended the book breathless at his amazing achievements as a sportsman and in awe of his witness to the Saviour amongst his sporting contemporaries. Wonderful!' - Graham Daniels, General Director of Christians in Sport

'Running the Race is the definitive biography of Eric Liddell and one can say with confidence that Liddell himself would have approved. Not only is John Keddie the foremost authority on Scottish athletics, but he is also a Presbyterian minister uniquely placed to set Liddell's sporting achievements in the context of the bigger priority of his Christian faith and witness. This superbly researched book inspires on many levels.' - Peter Lovesey, Top crime writer, outstanding athletics historian and National Union of Track Statisticians member

'I really appreciate the full account that John Keddie has given of my father's achievements in athletics and rugby. The records he set nationally and internationally lasted a long time and were remarkable considering the training, equipment and tracks of that time. Even more impressive, however, is the way my father's faith sustained the development of his challenging life and the way that faith continues to have an impact on the lives of many and various people.This too is very well presented in Running the Race'. - Patricia Liddell Russell

'Running the Race is a successful and sensitive portrayal of the sporting and spiritual life of Eric Liddell. Particularly unique is the explanation of how athletics and religion were intrinsically linked throughout Liddell's life, demonstrating how important faith was in the athlete's wider perspective. And yet, whilst covering such significant and deep issues, this book still retains the charm and interest required for any landmark sporting biography. A truly inspirational read.' - Sam Dobin, Trinity College Cambridge, Great Court Run Record Holder

'This is an account of the runner who came to prominence through his refusal during the Olympic Games of 1924 to participate in a race on the Lord's Day..........'
Review from the Peace and Truth magazine 2008:2

'This is the story of Eric Liddell, the man who would not run on a Sunday. Liddell said: 'I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel his pleasure'.
Review from the Free Church Witness magazine, April 2008

'There are very few people who will ever leave behind them a legacy comparable to that of Eric Liddell. Having emerged as one of the most successful athletes of his time, Liddell left behind the fame and accolades of his 1924 Olympic gold medal victory, to serve Christ as a missionary in China until his death in a Japanese internment camp in 1945'. 
Review from The British Church Newspaper, April 2008

'If you have not already read Liddell's biography, then certainly purchase this one. If you have already read it, read this new version, and be heartened by a man of God who was an exceptional sportsman, willing to lay down his life as a living sacrifice for his Saviour, Jesus Christ'. 
Review from The Evangelical Magazine, July 2008

'A timely publication in view of Eric Liddell's connection with China: 2008 being the year of the Beijing Olympics. John Keddie has by his lifelong research, increased our knowledge of Eric Liddell's sporting successes, but interwoven with these is his Evangelical Christian faith which influenced all he did. He is particularly remembered for his respect for the Sabbath, a life long belief which he shared with others at every opportunity. His early death at the age of forty-three in a Chinese Internment Camp during World War Two, ended the life of a true Christian but not his influence for good, which is still bearing fruit today. This is the fullest published record of his sporting prowess that we have, many previously unpublished details are listed. In his preparation for missionary work in China following in the footsteps of his parents and his elder brother, he spent a year at the Congregational College in Edinburgh and while there 'preached in theatres, in music halls, in all sorts and shapes of public buildings, schools and colleges' all the while keeping up his athletics training. The last two chapters describe his life, marriage and death in China and the appendices contain more facts and notes and a Biographical Bibliography for those who wish to know even more. Eric Liddell was a remarkable man and well worth learning about.'
Review from www.thegoodbookstall.co.uk