Once a Runner

Quenton Cassidy runs for a college team at the fictional Southeastern University, and he has one goal: breaking the four-minute mile. He is within a second of that mark when the upheaval of the Vietnam War era reaches the athletics department. Cassidy joins a protest by athletes, and the school responds by suspending him from the team.

With the guidance of Bruce Denton, a friend and graduate student who is a former Olympic gold medalist, Cassidy walks away from his scholarship, his relationship, and his expected path. He retreats to a monastery-like setting in the countryside to train for a head-to-head race against the greatest miler in history.

The novel follows the demanding daily lives of elite distance runners and shows what it takes to chase excellence in a sport where almost everything is measured by the clock. Its tone mixes humor with the intensity of a single-minded pursuit.

Originally published in 1978 by the author himself, the book first circulated at road races before spreading among running communities. This edition is an audiobook.