Product Description

Once a Runner captures the essence of what it means to be a competitive runner; to devote your entire existence to a single-minded pursuit of excellence. It has become one of the most beloved sports novels ever written.

Originally self-published in 1978 and sold at road races out of the trunk of the author's car, the book eventually found its way into the hands of high school, college, and postgraduate athletes all over the country. Reading it became a rite of passage on many teams, and tattered copies were handed down like sacred texts from generation to generation. It ranked as the number one most sought-after out-of-print book in the United States in 2007.

Once a Runner is the story of Quenton Cassidy, a collegiate runner at fictional Southeastern University whose lifelong dream is to run a four-minute mile. He is less than a second away when the political and cultural 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: a head-to-head match with the greatest miler in history. This book is a rare insider's account of the incredibly intense lives of elite distance runners; an inspiring, funny, and spot-on tale of one man's quest to become a champion.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #538 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Review
"By far the most accurate fictional portrayal of the world of the serious runner. . . a marvelous description of the way it really is." -- Kenny Moore, of Sports Illustrated

"I hate to use a clich, but I couldn't put it down." -- Joe Henderson, Runner's World

"I'm jealous. This is very close to the kind of book I've wanted to write for years. . . [Parker] has shown an ability to find that vein that runners have within them, and write about it better than anyone ever has." -- Don Kardong, of Runner's World

"I've read `Once a Runner' six times and still enjoy it immensely. It continues to renew my heart to `go after the fire, not the smoke." -- J.A. Sandoz, Olympia, WA

"My 17-year-old son was transfixed with `Once a Runner'. . ." -- Jon Boon, Columbia, MD

"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

"The best piece of running fiction around. Beg, borrow, or buy a copy, and you'll never need another motivator." -- Dave Langlais, Runner's World

"There is a remarkable parallel between the pacing of this novel and a well-run race." -- Ed Ayres, Running Times

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

"Part training manual, part religious tract, part love story, and all about running, Once a Runner is so inspiring it could be banned as a performance-enhancing drug." -- Benjamin Cheever, author of Strides: Running Through History with an Unlikely Athlete

"By far the most accurate fictional portrayal of the world of the serious runner...a marvelous description of the way it really is." -- Kenny Moore, Sports Illustrated

"There is a remarkable parallel between the pacing of this novel and a well-run race." -- Ed Ayres, Running Times

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

"The best piece of running fiction around. Beg, borrow, or buy a copy, and you'll never need another motivator." -- Dave Langlais, Runner's World

From the Publisher
Truly a cult classic. Now in its 8th Printing!

Customer Reviews

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 BEST book I've ever read!
I'm a sophomore in highschool and I'm also a extremely dedicated cross-country and track runner. This book has changed my life! The inspirational story of Quenton Cassidy's runner career left me breathless! The first chapter gave me goose-bumps because it decribed the start of a race perfectly. I read chapters from the book every night before a big race. Reading about Cassidy's determination gives any runner a boost. This book has to have the most accurate description of a runners mentality ever written. This is the best book about running I've ever read!

a book every runner has to read
I stoped running for over a year because of an serious back injury (from track)but then I came to the US as an exchange student and decided to go out for track again. My season didn't went very well, my times were way of the my PRs from home and i struggeled with injuries and asthma. in the middle of the season one guy from my distance team had the book in the bus to a meet and I started reading and took it home to finish....( I'm not a miler but still practiced with the distance team)This day, even I hadn't finished it yet, I ran my PR for this season and never felt better in a race. It didn't matter to me anymore if I would place or what my time would be. I just felt proud to be there and to do what I loved to do for many years but lately I didn't mean anything to me anymore. I ran for myself and not for the people watching.It motivated me so much that I finished the season although I was close to quit a lot of times.I don't know if I can ever run track competitive again but I'll always keep running. Every time I don't want to put on my shoes and go for my daily run I remember Quentin and his intervale workouts and that we have to work hard to get somewhere in life. Why not starting with something easy like actually getting up early and finishing the morning workout?.....for me this book changed my life...