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The Last Pick : The Boston Marathon Race Director's Road to Success
David J. McGillivray
Always the last pick for team sports because of his small stature, David McGillivray drove himself to excel at individual sports. Whe he was 16, he set himself up for the one "failure" that would motivate the rest of his life. He attempted to run in his first Boston Marathon - without training for the event. Not crossing the finish line could have been a crushing blow. Instead he went on to complete 115 marathons and eventually to become the Boston Marathon's race director.

At age 23, McGillivray completed his celebrated 3,452-mile run across the United States to raise money for cancer research. The story of his journey and what he learned about himself will give all readers a new understanding of how to prepare for and achieve success. McGillivray's many accomplishments will convince readers that virtually any goal is possible. This book will motivate them to overcome the mental obstacles that often keep dreams from becoming reality.

Paula: My Story So Far
Paula Radcliffe
Paula Radcliffe has managed to be both very successful in her field and incredibly popular with the Great British Public. She was the underdog for so long -- narrowly missing out on medals in the 1999 World Championships and the 2000 Sydney Olympics -- that fans longed to see her win. Paula's rosy manner hides a tough resolve to succeed and in 2002 her luck began to turn. She won gold medals at both the Commonwealth and European championships and started to grab the headlines, bringing Britain's focus back to athletics. Paula's bravery is not limited to the track, however. She has become a passionate spokesperson against drug cheats and, inspired by her own battle with the condition, she is widely admired for her patronage of asthma charities. And even though Athens in 2004 proved to be more Greek tragedy than triumph, her popularity remains undimmed. Her remarkable life story of highs and lows is fully chronicled in this fascinating and inspiring autobiography.

The Greatest: The Haile Gebrselassie Story
Jim Denison
Haile Gebrselassie revolutionized the world of long-distance running over the last decade. His world records stagger the imagination. He won two Olympic 10,000m golds, eight world and indoor championships; and set 17 world records over four different distances. Now he seeks a third gold medal over 10,000m in Athens. His biography is fascinating, detailing his early life in war-torn Ethiopia, and his rise to godlike status in the track world. The book will release immediately after the 2004 Olympics, with the last chapter covering his final race.

Za-to-pek! Za-to-pek! Za-to-pek!: The Life and Times of the World's Greatest Distance Runner
Bob Phillips
"Za-to-pek! Za-to-pek! Za-to-pek!"
The joyous rhythmic cry rang out from tens of thousands of spectators of every nationality in stadiums throughout Europe during the late 1940s and 1950s. Emil Zatopek was a Czech Army officer - from behind the impenetrable Iron Curtain. Yet his wondrous running ability, his cheery personality and his abundantly generous nature swept away all political and geographical barriers as readily as he swept aside the opposition he faced on the track.

Zatopek became a household name when he won the Olympic 10,000 metres at Wembley in 1948. Within a week at the 1952 Games in Helsinki he won the 5000 and 10,000 metres and then the marathon in his first attempt at the distance - a feat that cannot imaginably ever be equalled - and his wife, Dana, won the javelin.

He broke a multitude of World records, and his Herculean training methods, sometimes running 400 metres 80 times in succession, inspired an entire generation. His commitment and achievements completely changed the face of athletics, and even when he was stripped of his military and civic honours after speaking out against the repressive Czech regime he remained forever a sporting legend in his lifetime.

When Herbert Schade, a German rival, asked his advice before an Olympic final Zatopek told him how he could win the race. When Ron Clarke, himself a prolific record-breaker but never a champion, left Prague after a visit he found Zatopek had slipped one of his own gold medals into his baggage. When Zatopek died at the age of 78 a host of Olympic heroes travelled from round the globe to honour him at his burial. "Za-to-pek! Za-to-pek! Za-to-pek!" is the story of the World's greatest distance runner, written by broadcaster and journalist Bob Phillips, one of whose treasured posessions is an autograph given to him by the great man himself. In text and photographs this book makes for a fitting memorial to an unforgettable athlete and contains a host of personal recollections by fellow- competitors, journalists and fans - and, for the first time, a complete record of all his races based on authoritative Czech sources.

Arthur Lydiard: Master Coach
Garth Gilmour
Arthur Lydiard is probably the most successful and influential running coach of the 20th century. In 1960 he burst into prominence at the Rome Olympics when two of his proteges, Peter Snell and Murray Halberg, won Olympic gold medals on the same day. He had turned unpromising athletes into Olympic champions, and he said he could repeat the feat if only his methods, which involved building stamina and fitness through endurance running, were followed. In the next few years thousands of people heeded his word. The jogging movement was born.

The Perfect Distance: Ovett And Coe: The Record Breaking Rivalry
Pat Butcher
Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe presided over the golden era of British athletics. Between them they won three Olympic gold medals, two silvers, one bronze, and broke a total of twelve middle-distance records. They were part of the landscape of the late seventies and early eighties -- both household names, their exploits were watched by millions (in an age before video, satellite and Sky Sports, the BBC Nine O'Clock News was often interrupted to accommodate their successes). As far apart as possible in terms of class and upbringing -- Ovett is the art student, the long-haired son of a market-trader from Brighton, a natural athlete; Coe's formative years were spent under the rigorous training routine of Peter Coe, a self-taught trainer who referred to his son as 'my athlete' -- their rivalry burned as intense on the track as away from it. The pendulum swung between the pair of them -- each breaking the other's records, and, memorably, triumphing in each other's events in Moscow in 1980 -- for the best part of a decade, until the final showdown at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 . . . Twenty years on, Pat Butcher, a runner himself and athletics correspondent of The Times in the eighties, has spoken at length to both athletes; to Coe, the Tory MP, and to Ovett, whom he tracked down in Australia. He writes in depth about the British obsession with and dominance of middle- distance running, the mile, and speaks to many of the great 'milers' down the years, the likes of the Swedes Gunder Hagg and Arne Andersson, John Walker and, of course, Roger Bannister. The Perfect Distance is both a detailed re-creation and a fitting celebration of the greatest era of British athletics.

My Olympic Ten Days
Kelly Holmes
For ten days the nation was transfixed as Kelly Holmes stormed through the Olympic 800 metres and followed it by winning the 1,500 metres - a double triumph that made history and captured our hearts. But as we were excitedly glued to our television sets, Kelly's mind was in overdrive. Every night she recorded her most intimate thoughts on paper and produced an exhilarating step-by-step account of her extraordinary journey to the podium. Kelly's Olympic diary takes you through the tension of the heats to the rituals before the race and the post-race jubilant atmosphere. It is a unique insight into the tremendous strength of one of our greatest athletes and the emotions that fuelled her on the track to glory. How did she stay focused? How did she keep her body going under the punishing schedule? How did it feel to achieve her lifelong dream - twice! Placing this amazing feat in Olympic history, Kelly's story is a celebration of one woman's ultimate achievement, and the overwhelming joy she shared with the whole of Great Britain.

God and the Starting Line: The Triumph of a Catholic School Running Team and Its Jewish Coach
Marc Bloom
When he began coaching boys' cross-country at a small Catholic high school in New Jersey, Marc Bloom almost quit in frustration. The boys rejected Bloom's attempts at discipline and were also-rans in competition. Bloom persisted, fueled by the spiritual teachings of his Jewish faith to "repair the world." When he combined those teachings with the boys' core Catholic values, the team responded with soaring results. They ran their hearts out, collecting trophies and learning values of commitment and passion-the spiritual victories Bloom had yearned for. Bloom and his squad formed rare bonds of love that built toward a perfect race in the state championships.

Angeles Crest: A Memoir
Michael Modzelewski
At the starting line of The Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run, a reporter asked entrant Michael Modzelewski: "How long have you been training for this race?" "All my life," the runner replied without hesitation.

And it's an inspiring and entertaining life that Modzelewski describes in this memoir. Along with a 'timeline' description of what it's like to run 100 continuous miles through wild country, the author weaves in growing up in the value-laden Midwest; youthful rambles through Europe and the American West; and working as an adventure travel writer, seeking out the offbeat and unusual in exotic places around the world.

Angeles Crest is about Family: reuniting with an estranged brother as they run the ultramarathon together, supported by the love of a famous father.

Infused with a protective passion for Nature, the author describes the effects of varied landscapes upon the human psyche. There are many close encounters with wildlife, including alligators in the Everglades, elephants in Africa, pumas in Patagonia, and a transformative Dream-Bear that helps explain to Modzelewski his astonishing experiences with an Angel and Extraterrestrials.

Angeles Crest is a tour de force, showing a man not only tapping the depths of human potential by running 100 miles, but also in exploring the mysteries of the universe, the author finishes with answers for us all.

Bannister and Beyond : The Mystique of the Four-Minute Mile
Jim Denison
The 50th anniversary of the first four-minute mile is May 6, 2004. Since that great day in 1954 when Roger Bannister broke through the wall that many said would never be breached, hundreds of milers have gone sub-four -- but the achievement is still an extraordinary one, and the four-minute mile stands as a measure of greatness. This book contains interviews with and commentary from the great milers, from Bannister to his great rival, John Landy, to the stars of each succeeding decade (including Peter Snell, Eammon Coghlan, Jim Ryun, and John Walker), all of them discussing the mile -- its poetry, its rhythms, the tactics for running it, and above all, what it means to run sub-four.

Hills, Hawgs & Ho Chi Minh: More Tales of a Wayward Runner
Don Kardong
You have to be or have been a dedicated runner, or at least a serious athlete, to appreciate the motivation behind the things that Don Kardong undertakes in this book. It also helps to be or have been a triathlete and/or a multi-sport enthusiast since Kardong frequently finds himself involved in competitions which require skill in something other than running. Fortunately for everyone involved, Kardong has a great sense of humor and is truly in love with his sport. Both dedication and humor are found in abundance here. I especially enjoyed the piece about Steve Prefontaine and Kardong's attendance at a Triathlete workshop where he steadfastly refused to so much as look at the swimming pool. However, I did get a bit tired towards the end of all the over the top races - the grueling 50 miles, the Grand Canyon trek and the seemingingly endless marathons where he inevitably gets nauseated at mile 22. Kardong is a truly talented writer whom I suspect has a bit more to say than he's letting on. Wonder what he'll write next?

I Run, Therefore I Am - Nuts
Bob Schwartz
Whether you fall in the middle of the pack, up near the front of the pack, or so far from any semblance of a pack that you're wondering if everyone went home already, you'll find plenty to laugh about in this book. Popular running humorist Bob Schwartz- - like the Dave Barry of running--will have you in stitches as he pokes fun at the idiosyncratic personalities of runners and the strange and hilarious situations they encounter.

I Run, Therefore I Am--Nuts! brings out the humor in situations that every type of runner can relate to:

* The intricate art of drinking on the run from paper cups
* Trying to reacquaint fingers to toes after years of tight hamstrings
* Hitting the wall
* Having your heart flutter with the newest cushioned training shoe
* Discovering cross-training contraptions designed to strengthen your gluteus to its maximus
* Getting excited about the latest flavor of energy gel on the market

If you love the aromatic smell of perspiration, enjoy the exhilaration of exhaustion, drink solely from squirt bottles, or fill your wardrobe with reflective clothing--this book is for you.

No Finish Line: My Life As I See It
Marla Runyan
"My whole life was `special.' I rode a `special' bus, went to a school with a `special' program.... But I wasn't special, I was angry," observes Olympic runner Runyan. Rendered partially blind by Stargardt's disease, Runyan tells the story of her trials en route to the Olympics. Growing up embarrassed by her condition and all the more headstrong for it, Runyan set and achieved high goals to compensate for a lonely and painful childhood, tackling horseback riding and first violin before she turned to track and field. (She obtained her driver's license a bit later.) In 2000, she was the first American to finish the women's 1,500 meter race, coming in eighth the highest U.S. women's placement in the history of the event. But at the heart of her story is an allegory of change: she outgrows coaches, learns patience over perseverance and comes to understand that her greatest stumbling block is her own willful approach. Thankfully, the book never waxes maudlin like the many oft-aired inserts during the 2000 Olympic Games where every athlete competed not only in their event but also for the most-outrageous-life-challenge award. Rather, she presents her story with acuity and grace, rising above expectations and prejudice ("Do you ever fall down?" is a question journalists frequently ask). Written with Sally Jenkins who collaborated on Lance Armstrong's autobiography, It's Not About the Bike, Runyan's story is well-paced and finishes strong; readers will hope she keeps going and going.

Pre : The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine
Tom Jordan
The story of America's greatest running legend.

For five years, no American runner could beat him at any distance over a mile. But at the age of 24, with his best years still ahead, long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine finally lost. Driving alone at night after a party, Prefontaine crashed his sports car, putting a tragic, shocking end to the life and career of one of the most influential, accomplished runners of our time.

More than 20 years later, Pre continues to influence the running world.

From his humble origins in Coos Bay, Oregon, Pre became the first person to win four NCAA titles in one event. Year after year, he was virtually unbeatable. Instead of becoming one of the new breed of professional track athletes, Pre chose to stay amateur and fight for the adequate funding he felt American amateur athletes deserved.

A man of incredible desire and energy, Pre trained relentlessly. In his drive to be the best, he spurred others to do their best. As one racer said, "He ran every race as if it were his last."

But Pre not only touched runners; his exciting technique as well as his maverick lifestyle made him a favorite of the fans. A race with Prefontaine in it was automatically an event.

His brief but brilliant life is the tale of a true American hero.

This is his story.

Running Through The Wall: Personal Encounters With The Ultramarathon
Neil Jamison
For those who find the 26.2-mile marathon just not enough, there is the ultramarathon. What makes ultrarunners tick? What goes through their minds at mile 93? How can you train for such a colossal undertaking? These questions and many more are answered in Running Through the Wall, an inspiring collection of 39 personal stories from ultramarathoners. Ultramarathoning is the logical next step for those who burn with a desire to explore their limits, and beyond. It is impossible to run distances of 30, 50, or even 100 miles without coming away with at least one fascinating story. This book is full of them. There are stories of fatigue, blisters, nausea, and despair. But the ultrarunner prevails to find hope, love, healing, self-discovery, friendship, selflessness, and in the end, for most, triumph. Learn what it feels like to run an ultra from the champions, the newcomers, and the veterans of the sport.

Running With The Buffaloes
Chris Lear
Colorado-based cross-country runner Lear follows the University of Colorado cross-country team, the Buffaloes, through its 1998 season, one with many high points but also marked by the tragic death of one of its team members in a bike accident. The University of Colorado's cross-country program is one of the best in the country and, unlike most major cross-country powers, relies mainly on locally born athletes. The book minutely details the training and coaching techniques used to produce a team that is a constant contender for the NCAA championship. At times, the author provides almost too much detail, but the reader must marvel at the dedication and self-motivation of these young men as they run more than 100 miles a week for nearly seven months. In 1998, Colorado won the individual NCAA cross-country championship and finished third in the team competition. Apart from instructionals, few books cover cross- country; this one will appeal to high school athletes and is recommended for both school and public libraries.

Staying the Course: A Runner's Toughest Race
Dick Beardsley
For a brief moment in the early '80s Dick Beardsley became the most famous runner in the world-by losing a race. In the 1982 Boston Marathon, Beardsley finished two seconds behind Alberto Salazar in a contest often called one of the most memorable in marathon history, foiled by a motorcycle that cut him off near the end. It was the closest finish ever at the world's premier marathon, and both runners broke the course and the American records.

Staying the Course recounts the stunning race that made him a celebrity and the difficult years that followed, including his recovery from a near-fatal farm accident, his subsequent addiction to painkillers, and a very public arrest for forging prescriptions. His story of overcoming extreme obstacles speaks to anyone who loves competition, who has survived catastrophe, or who has pursued a seemingly impossible goal. Honest and engaging, Beardsley recalls his rise from Minnesota small-town kid and mediocre runner to celebrated athlete. He gives an exhilarating description of the Boston race and its unexpected obstacles: he was accosted by a fan, sideswiped by a bus, hobbled by a charley horse, and derailed by a motorcycle cop. He also writes with great candor of his retirement from marathoning to run a dairy farm, the accidents that followed, his addiction, the humiliation of his arrest, and his struggle to sobriety.

Never self-pitying, Staying the Course is inspirational, demonstrating just how much can be endured no matter how long and arduous the race-and the value of what is learned along the way.

Sub 4:00
Chris Lear
Alan Webb was just 18 when he broke a 36-year-old record by running the fastest mile ever for a high-school athlete, breaking Jim Ryun's mark by two seconds. Lear spent most of the 2001-02 school year with freshman Webb and his teammates at the University of Michigan, where many of America's best distance runners gather to learn from legendary coach Ron Warhurst. Though there have been any number of books chronicling the ups and downs of seasons in major sports, this may be the first to follow a group of world-class distance runners through a competitive cycle. The focus is on Webb as he juggles the challenges of college academics, injuries, and media attention along with the rigors of competition, but Lear also examines group dynamics as the other runners adjust to the presence of a track wunderkind in their midst. The best books take us to places or situations we are unlikely to experience firsthand. Lear succeeds admirably as readers experience vicariously the fiercely competitive, often anonymous lives of modern distance runners.

The Four Minute Mile
Roger Bannister
All sports have pivotal moments, single events that change perceptions forever after. For the sport of running such a moment passed on a blustery May afternoon in 1954, when Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile. This is the story of that epic run. Today, forty years later, lovers of sport - runners and non-runners alike - will be moved by this modest but impassioned story of one of sport's true heroes.

The Miler
Hap Cawood
I read a lot of books. Primarily for pleasure. First, my opinion about the book then then I'll share the reason I read it. The Miler was not what I expected. I thought it would be more about the physical struggles of training for an event that requires dedication, perseverance, and many, many lonely hours pounding the track or highway. What I got was a sensitive rendition of the major events that affect all of us - life, death, love, competition, winning, losing, happiness, sadness and bunch of other emotions that you'll have to discover for yourself when you read The Miler. There were times when I laughed aloud and moments when I would get tears in my eyes as the full cast of characters created by Hap flowed through this novel. It was pure enjoyment.

The Miler
Steve Scott
America's premier mile record holder, Steve Scott, tells his inspiring story in a thoughtful and anecdote-filled book that's sure to delight running enthusiasts and all those who love athletics. 35 photos. Serious runners will love it, and even joggers will be fascinated by its honesty and by the character - in both senses of that word - that Scott reveals. Jim Ryun remains the legendary American miler, but he would have been 30 meters behind Scott in their best races. Ryun gave up the sport in his early 20s because he couldn't handle the pressure; Scott raced at the highest levels for close to twenty years. Scott clearly loves running! He loves being really fit and training hard. With the help of Marc Bloom, the longtime dedicated chronicler of Cross Country and Track, Scott helps us understand that love. He was "Pre" (Prefontaine) without the sharp edges. He deserves to be better known and more honored. But even if that never happens, no one can ever take away what he accomplished. The numbers - 3:47.69, and 136 sub-4:00s - will stand for as long as runners circle thae track for four laps.

The Olympic Marathon
David Martin
Relive the high drama and rich details of the past century's Olympic marathons!

Coauthor David Martin--the foremost authority on the history of the race and the performances of the athletes in it--presents a unique and multifaceted look at the Olympic marathon. He and Olympic marathon expert Roger Gynn have teamed up to provide a definitive resource that goes beyond statistics to offer readers a vivid chronicle of the athletes and their memorable marathon performances. For every Olympic marathon since 1896, you'll find a detailed narrative of how the race was run, fascinating biographical details of the top finishers, the political climate surrounding the race, and a map with street descriptions of the actual race course.

Generously illustrated, often with rare and never-before- published photos, a pictorial glimpse is provided into the contemporary atmosphere and dynamics of each race. From the first marathon winner, Spiridon Louis, to legends like Emil Zatopek, Frank Shorter, and Joan Benoit Samuelson, you'll find insights and race details you can't find anywhere else. If you're a fan of running or the Olympics, this is the one book you will enjoy again and again for many Olympic years to come.

The Perfect Mile
Neal Bascomb
There was a time when running the mile in four minutes was the elusive holy grail, believed to be beyond the limits of human speed. In 1952, after suffering defeat at the Helsinki Olympics, three world-class runners set out individually to break that barrier. Roger Bannister was a young English medical student who epitomized the ideal of the amateur -- driven not just by winning but by the nobility of the pursuit. John Landy was the privileged son of a genteel Australian family, who as a boy preferred butterfly collecting to running but who trained relentlessly in an almost spiritual attempt to achieve this singular task. Then there was Wes Santee, the swaggering American, a Kansas farm boy who was a natural athlete and who believed he was just plain better than everybody else.

Thirty Phone Booths to Boston
Don Kardong
This book will make you laugh out loud -- at Kardong's coverage of the Boston Marathon by phone, for example. It will also make you think, as he describes the impact President Carter's decision to boycott the 1980 Olympics had on his running career and competitive spirit. In between, there are lots of great stories about Kardong's running adventures. Even runners who aren't at Kardong's level will enjoy his tales of life on the trails, and identify with many of the fixes he finds himself in - - running hilly trails in a wild rainstorm, for example, and trying to decide how much more he can take before he hits the top of his misery scale

To the Edge: A Man, Death Valley, and the Mystery of Endurance
Kirk Johnson
When his beloved older brother commits suicide, Kirk starts running-running to escape, running to understand, running straight into the hell of Badwater, the ultimate test of endurance equal to five consecutive marathons. From the inferno of Death Valley to the freezing summit of Mt. Whitney, alongside a group of dreamers, fanatics, and virtual running machines, Kirk will stare down his limitations and his fears on a journey inward-a journey that just might offer the redemption of his deepest and most personal loss.

Top Distance Runners of the Century: Motivation, Pain, Success : World-Class Athletes Tell
Seppo Luhtala