Mort Slavin rushed through the kitchen when he saw someone stumble outside his house. In his haste, he ran full force into the dining room table, doubled over trying to catch his breath, and by the time he got to… Continue Reading
A lifetime ago, I smoked a Washington High School record, running the mile in 4 minutes and 23 seconds. Now, at fifty-eight, I want to run the mile again, albeit in twice that time — to prove my angina is… Continue Reading
High school began and I was determined to be different. I grew my hair out all summer so that I could wear it up in a high and slightly off-centre ponytail. Gone was my chin-length bob that framed my round… Continue Reading
Lank summited Esk Fell. He stood for a moment on the top to look around. But he could barely see anything. All was black smoke. There were blinking lights, like LEDs, of the conurbation below. He breathed. In. Out. His… Continue Reading
Mile 1: Cold morning in the mountains, the trail cushioned and redolent with decaying leaves. My heart’s racing with anticipation, hands jittery — but feeling good. I’m doing this, doing this. Wish I could squeeze Brad’s hand, drink encouragement from… Continue Reading
On the morning of her fortieth birthday, Lena took literal steps to reclaim her life. The weather had just begun to take notice of autumn, and a crisp breeze blew gray remnants of yesterday’s storms so that the sky was… Continue Reading
It is the end of a four mile cross country run on a mild September afternoon in 1967, it’s 100 yards up a moderate slope on a wide green meadow to the finish line where the coaches and a handful… Continue Reading
PLIFF-pliff-pliff-pliff. PLIFF-pliff-pliff-pliff. LAP-twen-ty-one. SEE-the-boy-run. Yeah, me, Grant Matthews, Olympian. Never felt faster. Is it really the suit? Can ‘optimal thermoregulation’ make that much difference to a runner? DeSelbySuits sure wanted us to believe it, before the ‘fusion’ accidents. The apogee… Continue Reading
At first you run on, warm sweat trickling between your breasts. It doesn’t register. Then one day, you notice something out of the corner of your eye. But it flashes by in a blur so quickly you must have imagined… Continue Reading
The crack of the starter’s gun gives rise to a low rumble around the stadium as the girls set off at speed. The race clock at the finish line carries the logo ‘British Athletics National Youth Championship’. By the first… Continue Reading