æz ðə nˈɑːvəl ˈoʊpənz ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈoːɹ, θɹˈiː stˈɑːɹ ɹˈʌnɚz — vˈɪns mˈæɾi, ʒˈæk lˌæ fˈɔnt, ænd bˈɪli sˈaɪv — hɐvbɪn ɛkspˈɛld fɹʌmðɪ ɪlˈiːt tɹˈæk pɹˈoʊɡɹæm æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv ˈɔːɹɪɡən bɪkˈʌz ðeɪ ɑːɹ ɡˈeɪ, ænd wˈɪʃ tə tɹænsfˈɜː tə pɹˈɛskɑːt tə tɹˈeɪn wɪð bɹˈaʊn.
As the novel opens in 1974, three star runners — Vince Matti, Jacques LaFont, and Billy Sive — have been expelled from the elite track program at the University of Oregon because they are gay, and wish to transfer to Prescott to train with Brown.