Favorite T&F novel you've read?

[aaronk]

Didn't know which forum to place this in...current events, historical, or things not t&f, so feel free to move it, if needed.

As an avid reader, and as a t&f fan for 50 years, I've read a number of t&f-related (or running) novels.
Here's a list of the ones I've read, in no particular order.
I haven't rated them.....yet!!
But feel free to do so....or tell us YOUR favorite (NOT necessarily the "BEST"!!!).

Run For Your Life........Barbara Abercrombie
The Games...............(?) Atkinson
Pepper in the Blood.....Brian Dyson
The Electric Olympics..Hal Higdon
Jogging...................(??) Hochman
See Mommy Run.........Nancy Jacobs
Zanboomer...............RR Knudson
Fox Running.............RR Knudson
The Olympian Strain....Mike Jahn
Goldengirl................(??) Lear
The Miler.................Cordner Nelson
Signs Unseen, Sounds Unheard.........Carol Norris (I knew her!!)
The Love Run............Jay Parini
Once a Runner...........John Parker
The Front Runner.........Patricia Warren
Pain........................Dan Middleman

I omitted the novel I wrote, "The Chain", since it was never published!! ops:

Feel free to add your own favorite.....or just add to the list!!
Remember....these are NOVELS.....fiction!!

[doug5321]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

my race be won - vincent matthews.

it was the first book i read at age 10

[aaronk]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

my race be won - vincent matthews.

it was the first book i read at age 10

Sorry, but this doesn't qualify for the list!!
It's Matthews' autobiography!!
Or memoirs!

It's NOT a novel!!

(I've read several NON-fiction books about running and T&F!! But I want to limit this list (or rating) to novels/fiction ONLY!!)

[Mighty Favog]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

The Fast Men, Tom McNab.

[26mi235]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

Was Personal Best a book as well as a movie; would Kenny Moore be the author?

[Vault-emort]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

I think your list is fairly comprehensive.

[aaronk]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

Was Personal Best a book as well as a movie; would Kenny Moore be the author?

No, it wasn't.
The screenplay for the movie was written by Robert Towne, also the director.

But maybe I should start a thread on our favorite t&f/running-related MOVIES!!

I've seen a whole bunch of THOSE!!

But here, let's limit it to novels read!

[Master Po]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

Interesting list, aaronk -- many titles new to me. Here is one not on your list -- probably familiar to many on here.

The Olympian, Brian Glanville (1969)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Glanville#Novels

It's been a long time since I have read this one, but I was very impressed by it and would recommend it to anyone seeking Track & Field/Athletics-related novels.

[bambam]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

Goldengirl................(??) Lear

The author was Peter Lear, but it was a pseudonym for Peter Lovesey. Peter is a crime novelist in Britain as a day job, but a top-notch T&F historian and statistician - wrote Five Kings of Distance and is really an expert on 19th century T&F. He is a member of ATFS and on the Executive Committee of ISOH (International Society of Olympic Historians).

Never read the book but saw the movie simply to look at Susan Anton back in the 70s

[bambam]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

I almost never read novels but on this list Once a Runner was great. I only read it last year after meeting Dr. Jay for lunch here in Durham when he was visiting, and he highly recommended it. He was right.

[bambam]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

I almost never read novels but on this list Once a Runner was great. I only read it last year after meeting Dr. Jay for lunch here in Durham when he was visiting, and he highly recommended it. He was right.

He also recommended Loose Balls - the history of the old ABA, and he was also right about that - that one was even better and hilarious. Last week I have my copy to Will Roach, a former NC State hoopster, now an orthopaedic sales rep who said he couldn't stop laughing reading it.

[Conor Dary]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

Was Personal Best a book as well as a movie; would Kenny Moore be the author?

We have talked about this elsewhere. I was an extra in that movie. Even played a pole vaulter. Spent about 10 hours a day, for a week or so, locked up in Hayward Field.

[mcgato]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

Two that I've seen listed, but I haven't read.

The Purple Runner
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

I did see the movie of the latter one, and I'm not even sure that it fits in what was originally asked.

[Conor Dary]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

Two that I've seen listed, but I haven't read.

The Purple Runner
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

I did see the movie of the latter one, and I'm not even sure that it fits in what was originally asked.

The first is by Paul Christman, of Running Stats. Not a bad book, but good luck trying to find a copy.

The second is of course Nottingham's Alan Sillitoe's wonderful short novel. Not really a running book, but well worth reading.

[Mighty Favog]

Re: Favorite T&F novel you've read?

Roger Robinson's top 13, from his "Running In Literature"

1. The Fast Men, Tom McNab
2. The Olympian, Brian Glanville
3. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Alan Sillitoe
4. The Front Runner, Patricia Nell Warren
5. Flanagan's Run, Tom McNab
6. Lovelock, James McNeish
7. Sprint from the Bell, Pat Booth
8. The Purple Runner, Paul Christman
9. Staying the Distance, Bill Loader
10. Once a Runner, John L. Parker
11. Peter Lovesey, Wobble to Death
12. The Running Footman, John Owen
13. The Glow, Brooks Stannard

#3 may be disqualified as it's a short story, and #6 might be too as it's a fictionalized biography. All of these are specifically running novels. On the other hand, how many purely field-event novels have you ever heard of?

Marathon and Beyond magazine sometimes republishes classic out-of-print running books in serialized form.