Marathon in the Dust

This is the story of three men in a car; their journey took them from London, England to Sydney, Australia, a distance of some 11,000 miles. But this is no ordinary travelogue, for it was no ordinary journey; the 7,500 miles to Bombay were covered in 7 days and the 3,500 miles across Australia in a further 3 and half days. The three men, Michael Taylor, Andrew Hedges and the author, Innes Ireland, were competitors in the Daily Express London to Sydney Marathon.

An event that will go down in the annals of motoring history to rank with the Paris-Madrid and the Peking-Paris races held at the beginning of the century which marked the birth of motoring sport. Written with verve and gusto Marathon in the Dust vividly reflects the adventures of this astonishing journey which include being stoned by political agitators in Pakistan, a breakdown in the Australian desert which left them stranded for a day and a night without food or water, and their personal triumph in winning the Private Entrants award at Bombay.

It also reflects the humour, companionship and team spirit that existed between the three men bound by a common adventure. The story moves at a pace in time with the event, but through it all the author manages to impart a remarkable impression of his inner thoughts and conflicts.