Once a Runner

By: John L. Parker Jr.

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

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, reading the book became a rite of passage for many runners, and tattered copies were handed down like sacred texts from generation to generation.

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 audiobook 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.

©2009 John L Parker (P)2009 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

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

very nice.

story is quite interesting and the performance is great, that takes you through the whole story and whole range of emotions. at the end I almost cried

Well delivered running canon

Slightly marred by the narration, but a quintessential read/listen for anyone interested in running.

Everything I imagined!

This classic is everything I imaged. The imagery, details and narrative brought back all the excitement and pain of racing the mile!

For my first read a running book it was good

Is it a coincidence that when I listened to "The Perfect Mile" (a great book) part of it sounded like this book....did the author of this book use the ideas of The Perfect Mile and change the characters and story around a bit?
It was a good book but I found the first part really boring and dragged on until the storey finally started to emerge. The narrator was kind of irritating to listen to until I became used to his whiney voice.

Elite runners will like it better than average

Would you try another book from John L. Parker Jr. and/or Patrick Lawlor?

While I appreciate the story and the subject and the performance - I've listened to so many others that I enjoyed even more. I would try another.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Nothing special. Somewhat predictable.

What about Patrick Lawlor’s performance did you like?

Well performed.

Was Once a Runner worth the listening time?

I've listened to over a hundred audiobooks. This one was not in my top 50%. But I wouldn't know that unless I completed it. So I would say yes.