As a life-long distance runner nearing 70 – my first marathon was in 1989, my most recent was two weeks ago – Matthew Futterman captures the essence of long-distance running better than any other book I have read on the topic. Far too few Americans know the story of Coach Bob Larson and the dedicated, talented runners whose running achievements were forged with a unique combination of love, creativity and a relentless pursuit of self-improvement.