Once a Runner

by John L. Parker Jr.

Book Overview

The undisputed classic of running novels and one of the most beloved sports books ever published, Once a Runner tells the story of an athlete's dreams amid the turmoil of the 60s and the Vietnam war.

Inspired by the author's experience as a collegiate champion, the novel follows Quenton Cassidy, a competitive runner at fictional Southeastern University whose lifelong dream is to run a four-minute mile. He is less than a second away when the turmoil of the Vietnam War era intrudes into the staid recesses of his school's athletic department. After he becomes involved in an athletes' protest, Cassidy is suspended from his track team. Under the tutelage of his friend and mentor, Bruce Denton, a graduate student and former Olympic gold medalist, Cassidy gives up his scholarship, his girlfriend, and possibly his future to withdraw to a monastic retreat in the countryside and begin training for the race of his life against the greatest miler in history.

A rare insider's account of the incredibly intense lives of elite distance runners, Once a Runner is an inspiring, funny, and spot-on tale of one individual's quest to become a champion.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416597891
• ISBN13: 9781416597896
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Must read for every runner

It was good to read a good fictional story that circled around running. As a runner I was glued to the book. I will admit there were a few dry spells , but I feel that is the case in every book . I could not put this down and finished it real quick. A must read for every runner out there.

Pure excellence, but with a disclaimer

There are 87 other reviews here, so all I will do is offer the following breakdown for people interested in buying this book. Put yourself in one of these categories: a) Competative runners: this is an increadible book, period. The best part about it is reading about a little tiny nuance in Quenton's running life and saying to yourself, "I know exactly what he's talking about, wow", which will happen literally hundreds of times. Your hopefully already-substantial appreciation for the sport will likely increase tenfold with this book. b) The casual runner, recreational, or other athlete: this is an excellent book and is very highly reccomended. You probably will not appreciate it to it's fullest extent, but there are aspects of the story and how it is told that will be enjoyed by anyone with the capacity for excitement from sports or human physical endeavors. c) The non-athlete: this book may not make sense to you. Not in the literary sense, but it may seem as though there is little direction in the story, and you might read it and then find yourself thinking that nothing interesting really happened, and you are not really to blame for this. There is still a good chance that you will find it enjoyable, but if you are looking for a piece of literature based on traditional merits (plot, character development, etc) there are likely better books out there for you to spend time on. Clearly I thought this book was one of the best I've ever read. However, I hope this breakdown about who in particular might enjoy it the most was helpful. -Andrew

The Gold Standard

Once a Runner is the best running book I have ever read. Unlike training guides or running stories that spend far too much time explaining the beauty of running and trying to introduce people to the wonders of jogging around, Once A Runner really goes into the life and mind of a runner (though the book uses fictional characters, they are easily recognizable and realistic). It describes the dedication, hard work, and goofiness that is required to be successful and what makes runners a very unique, though cetainly interesting breed. The story itself, of a young college-aged runner and his quest to run the fastest mile he could while in school and after he got kicked out, is extremely well paced and smootly written, just as a good race. It is a fantastic book and I would highly recommend it for beginners, enthusiasts, or someone who just needs a little motivation.

A Runner's Required Reading

Once a Runner is the best book about running I have ever read. It has all the elements of an excellent novel-a good plot, well-developed characters, excellent writing-but for runners it will seem much more like a biography of one of their own. Quenton, the hero of the story, and his fellow runners are all intense, focused, quirky, unique people who any runner can easily recognize and relate to from their own lives. These characters struggle to endure the "Trial of Miles" necessary to compete on the top level and throughout the book wonder if and why this sacrifice is worth it. These are questions all athletes ask themselves from time to time, and through Quenton, John L. Parker does an excellent job of explaining the answers he has found. The book draws you in immediately and, just as a good race does, gets more exciting as it moves along so that I never wanted to put it down. This is a very inspirational book, an excellent read, and reminded me why running is such an amazing sport. Once a Runner is a must-read for any serious runner and would be a wonderful story for anyone who either wants to understand why people run or may need a little motivation to start doing so themselves.