Once A Runner follows the collegiate years of Quenton Cassidy, a very talented but manic runner whose obsession in life is to run a sub-four minute mile.

Cassidy attends fictional Southeastern University in Florida, and finds himself expelled after publicly speaking out against the strict dress code being imposed upon the athletes by the conservative administration led by the conservative football coach. Cassidy’s chances to break the four-minute barrier seem dashed until former gold medalist Bruce Denton takes him under his wing. Denton moves Cassidy into a remote cabin on the outskirts of town where he can focus solely on his running and live a stoic lifestyle filled with long runs through the woods and endless 400m repeats.

Cassidy’s dedication to running strains his relationship with Andrea, the woman he deeply cares about. The emotional turmoil he faces is relatable to anyone who has ever struggled to balance their personal ambition and their romantic relationship. While the universal themes resonate, it’s the vivid descriptions of running that make this book unforgettable. You won’t soon forget Quenton’s final showdown against the legendary New Zealand runner, John Walton.

Only an experienced runner can so vividly capture the feeling on standing on the starting line the way Parker does:

Cassidy’s heart tried to leap out through his taught skin and hop into his wet hands. But outwardly it was all very calm, very serene, just as always, and it seemed to last a tiny forever, just like that, a snapshot of them all on the curved parabola of a starting line, eight giant hearts attached to eight pairs of bellows-like lungs mounted on eight pairs of supercharged stilts. They were poised on the edge of some howling vortex they had run 10,000 miles to get to. Now they had to run one more.

While John L. Parker Jr.‘s writing in Once a Runner is poetic and beautifully illustrative, there are moments when it feels obscure. The intensely masculine and competitive focus may resonate with many competitive runners, but could alienate casual runners with its dismissal of non-competitive joggers.

The book’s almost cultish following and its enduring popularity over many decades is understandable. It captures the dedication required to chase a dream, and serves as a reminder that no matter how hard you push yourself to be the best, there’s always someone pushing harder.