The 27th Mile

Former contributing editor at Runner's World and author Dimity McDowell's narrative-driven prescriptive book on reckoning with the end of an athletic journey-and what's next.

On January 18, 2020, Dimity McDowell unknowingly went on her last run. The deceleration of her running career began three years before that, following a medical visit which ended in the assessment that she should not run anymore. She should have quit then and there. But running is not like other hobbies; the sport anchored major parts of her identity, including her career, self-image, and mental health. Even though she had never finished on a medal podium in her life, she devoted much of her time to thinking, living, and breathing the run. This is true for so many runners (who are legion: about 50 million Americans participate in some form of running or jogging). And many of them will have to grudgingly hang up their sneakers at some point. This is the story of anyone who lives and breathes the pavement-and has to give it up.

The 27th Mile focuses on the time when running-or any other physical pursuit that anchored your daily life and self-identity-is no longer a healthy choice because of injury, chronic pain, or illness. While The 27th Mile is anchored in Dimity's personal journey, as one of the founders of the popular website Another Mother Runner, she taps into her vast network to share stories from others who have been there, as well as expert advice for empathy and wisdom to help guide readers to the next chapter of their athletic identity.

Growing up in Minnesota, Dimity McDowell hated running; in fact, the only time she ran was during the shuttle run and mile‑test in the Presidential Physical Fitness Tests. She never received a certificate of high performance from the White House. She was recruited to the rowing team in college-height is an asset in crew-and found her athletic groove. Her first semi‑enjoyable run was a two‑mile trot to the boathouse. When she moved to New York City after graduation, running took center stage; her salary as an editorial assistant barely covered the rent, let alone a gym membership. She lapped Central Park hundreds of times and ran her first (of two) marathons: the 1997 New York City Marathon. While in New York City, Dimity worked on staff for Women's Sports + Fitness, Self, ESPN: The Magazine, and Sports Illustrated for Women before going freelance.

McDowell enjoyed a vibrant freelance career, specializing in sports and fitness, before the internet devoured most print versions of magazines. In 2007, McDowell, then the mother of a four and one‑year‑old, and a colleague and mother of three kids under five, Sarah Bowen Shea, trained for and ran the Nike Women's Marathon. They were dubbed the "Marathon Moms," and blogged about their training for the Runner's World website and wrote a feature for the print magazine, which turned into their first book Run Like a Mother (Andrews McMeel, 2010).

McDowell and Shea set out to cultivate a virtual community of like‑minded women who could support and inspire each other, which turned into their company, Another Mother Runner. As the community grew in strength, so did AMR; the duo penned two more books, started a podcast, designed training programs with busy women in mind, and offered retreats.

Today, McDowell lives in Denver with her husband, her two kids, and two dogs. Despite no longer running, she loves going on epic day hikes and bike rides. Heeding the advice she often gives the Another Mother Runner community, she just keeps moving forward.