Running, Identity and Meaning showcases how gender, class, age and ethnicity influence whether and how different groups participate in the sport, and explores its role in the reproduction of social structure and the search for distinction.

Neil Baxter is an independent sociologist and writer who completed his PhD at the University of Warwick. His research centres on lifestyle, identity and the relationship between mind and society, and includes a five-year research project exploring the social meaning of recreational running.