cross-country course near the track. As the race draws nearer, Quenton fights to keep control of his adrenaline and anxiety, waiting until the race starts so he can unleash them. A large part of a chapter is devoted to the race itself, which comes down to a contest between Cassidy and Walton in the final lap. The novel describes the effect lactic acid has on Quenton as he fights to close in on Walton, who has a slight lead. Excruciatingly, Cassidy reels Walton in and outsprints him in the final straight to win the race in a time of 3:52.5. After the race, the scene changes back to Cassidy standing at the Southeastern track, walking through the last lap of a mile. Quenton reflects upon his running career and realizes that while it is over for him, there is much to be left behind on the track. When he reaches the end of the lap, he reaches into his bag and pulls out a box with a silver Olympic medal inside. Cassidy thinks to himself that he can live with leaving behind his old life, and with a bittersweet feeling walks off into the night. Critical reception Once a Runner, while dismissed by some critics as a cult classic that generally appeals only to competitive runners, has received considerable critical praise from Sports Illustrated, Track & Field News, and Runner's World magazine. Characters Quenton Cassidy – The protagonist of the book, Cassidy is a collegiate runner whose dedication to the sport forces him to choose to drop out of school and run under the coaching of Bruce Denton (see below). Bruce Denton – A fictional Olympic champion runner who becomes Cassidy's friend and coach. Jerry Mizner – Cassidy's best friend and teammate. Andrea Cleland – Cassidy's girlfriend. Dick Doobey – The head football coach at Southeastern. He attempts to have Cassidy expelled from the school for disrupting loyalty among his athletes. John Walton – The world record holder for the mile, and the first person to run a time under 3 minutes and 50 seconds in the mile. His character is based on that of the famous miler John Walker. Cassidy's race against him is the novel's climactic moment. Mike Mobley – A very large thrower on the Southeastern Track and Field team. He is one of the team captains and greatly respects Cassidy. External links LetsRun Discussion 1978 American