The Last of the Giants

A graphic novel about the 200-mile Tor des G ants in the Italian Alps that illuminates both the appeal and the psychological turmoil of running an ultramarathon.

Why does anyone choose to enter a grueling race with no hope of winning? Doug Mayer has run the 200-mile Tor des G ants--perhaps the world's most feared ultramarathon--three times, and he takes readers into the mind of the endurance athlete.

In a fictionalized account based on his own experience, mountain after mountain, between reality and hallucinations, our runner meets scientists, doctors, a Buddhist monk and extreme athletes who examine what's going on in his body and brain. He also meets Francesca, an intriguing runner who gives him the strength to keep going. Finally he meets his dragon: the ego every runner has to defeat to cross the finish line.

The graphic novel uses a unique reader experience--changing directions as the pages turn--to relate the disorientation of an ultramarathon. In doing so, The Last of the Giants explores the human desire to exceed our own limits and come in contact with something greater than ourselves. A spiritual and meditative quest, the book makes every reader ask: in my life, what are my limits?