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Once a Runner
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Once a Runner Paperback - 2010

by John L. Parker

Perhaps the best novel ever written about running. There are parts of "Once a Runner" that are pure poetry. I have never read descriptions of what it is to run and race as accurate and compelling as Parker's.--Tom Jordan, "Track & Field News."


Summary

Originally self-published in 1978, Once a Runner captures the essence of competitive runningâÈ'and of athletic competition in generalâÈ'and has become one of the most beloved sports novels ever published..

Inspired by the authorâÈçs experience as a collegiate champion, the story focuses on 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 schoolâÈçs athletic department. After he becomes involved in an athletesâÈç 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 insiderâÈçs account of the incredibly intense lives of elite distance runners, Once a Runner is an inspiring, funny, and spot-on tale of one manâÈçs quest to become a champion..

From the publisher

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.

Details

  • Title Once a Runner
  • Author John L. Parker
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition 1 Reprint
  • Pages 304
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Scribner Book Company, U.S.A.
  • Date 2010-04-06
  • Features Price on Product - Canadian
  • ISBN 9781416597896 / 1416597891
  • Weight 0.56 lbs (0.25 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.44 x 5.98 x 0.72 in (21.44 x 15.19 x 1.83 cm)
  • Themes
    • Topical: Coming of Age
  • Library of Congress subjects Running, Runners (Sports)
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2010293323
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

"The best novel ever written about running."--Runner's World

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Once a Runner: A Novel
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Once a Runner: A Novel

by Parker Jr., John L.

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Once a Runner: A Novel
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Once a Runner: A Novel

by Parker Jr., John L.

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Once a Runner : A Novel

Once a Runner : A Novel

by Parker, John L., Jr.

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Once a Runner : A Novel

Once a Runner : A Novel

by Parker, John L., Jr.

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Once a Runner : A Novel

Once a Runner : A Novel

by Parker, John L., Jr.

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Once a Runner: A Novel
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

Once a Runner: A Novel

by Parker Jr., John L.

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Once a Runner : A Novel
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Once a Runner : A Novel

by Parker, John L., Jr

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Once a Runner : A Novel
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Once a Runner : A Novel

by Parker, John L., Jr

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781416597896 / 1416597891
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Once a Runner : A Novel
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Once a Runner : A Novel

by Parker, John L., Jr

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781416597896 / 1416597891
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Once a Runner : A Novel
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Once a Runner : A Novel

by Parker, John L., Jr

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Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781416597896 / 1416597891
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Scribner. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages.
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