The longlist for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2026 has been announced, with 12 titles exploring sporting achievement, fandom, addiction and the personal stories behind elite competition.
Books on Rory McIlroy, Tadej Pogačar and Helenio Herrera feature alongside accounts of running, cricket, Formula One and an unlikely sporting underdog story.
Established in 1989, the award has become one of sports publishing’s most significant honours, recognising writers who reveal the wider human stories that sport can tell.
Last year’s winner, The Escape: The Tour, the Cyclist and Me, had an Irish connection, written by former professional cyclist Pippa York and Irish sports journalist David Walsh. Their account of following the Tour de France joined a distinguished roll of winners including Nick Hornby, Michael Holding, Lauren Fleshman and Duncan Hamilton.
This year, Andy McGrath is the only previous winner on the longlist. His Tadej Pogačar: Unstoppable puts him in contention for a second award, having won in 2017 with Tom Simpson: Bird on the Wire.
The reading panel’s selection now passes to judges Adrian Durham, Elis James, Mark Lawson, Christine Ohuruogu and Michelle Walder, who will determine the shortlist ahead of its announcement on Thursday, October 29.
“It’s a pleasure to announce the longlist for the 2026 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award,” said Neil Foggin, Media Manager at William Hill and a member of the reading panel.
“We were once again struck by the originality of this year’s longlist titles, which provide a range of unique and often challenging perspectives on elite competition, conveying the personal as well as wide-reaching impact of sport.”
The list reminds us of the depth of storytelling available beyond the immediate result. Books offer space to examine identity, ambition and belonging, and to reach readers through experiences that extend well beyond any single sporting audience.
The full 2026 longlist is:
F1 Racing: Drive — Rachel Brookes
This Is Not About Running — Mary Cain
Ball of the Century — Brendan Cooper
HH: Helenio Herrera – Football’s Original Master of the Dark Arts — Richard Fitzpatrick
For A Yellow Jersey — Paul Maunder
Tadej Pogačar: Unstoppable — Andy McGrath
Till I Die: Why Football Means Everything (even when it shouldn’t) — Damien Pearse
The Power Within — Sophie Power
The Impossible Job — William Ralston
Rory — Alan Shipnuck
The Fall and Rise of the Mölkky Bar Kids: A Sporting Underdog Story — Neil Squires
The Chain — Sir Bradley Wiggins
The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on November 24 and will receive £25,000 and the William Hill Sports Book of the Year trophy. The other shortlisted authors will each receive £2,500 and a leather-bound copy of their book.
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