Also, my British friends will appreciate its use of many British phrases that haven't quite made it into the vernacular this side of the pond.Ī fascinating story of the single-minded drive that an athlete can have, regardless of his actual ability to legally compete. But, that's about as negative as I can get about this book.
In fact, if I had one criticism as a runner, it's that it has a tendency to tell me Tarrant won a marathon without telling me what his finishing time was. That's why "The Ghost Runner" isn't a list of race times and workout breakdowns. This book is written by a man who says he doesn't run, and doesn't understand the lure of it either. He gives his entire life to the passion of the sport, ultimately at too great a cost.
John Tarrant - an ultra distance runner, and a good one - is not a particularly likable person, but his resilience and dedication are beyond admirable. It corroborates with other horror stories in books about American distance runners like Steve Prefontaine and Wes Santee. This tale epitomizes the problem with amateur athletics in the 50s and 60s. It starts off a little dry, but once you get to the meat of the story, it becomes hard to put down.
I don't believe it was picked up by a major publisher. This book, like its subject, is an underdog.
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