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The Jim Ryun Story
NELSON, CORDNER The Jim Ryun StoryLos Altos Tafnews Press, (c.1967). First Edition. Hardcover. Illustrated by (photos) Rich Clarkson. Biography of the Wichita, Kansas, athlete who was the first high school trackster to run a sub-four-minute mile, and who in 1967 set a world record in the mile that stood for nearly a decade. This book, published just prior to that achievement, is a detailed chronicle of his career to that point and climaxes with the then-record-setting 3:51.3 mile that he ran at an AAU meet in Berkeley. Ryun participated in four Olympic Games, but ironically never won a gold medal.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1967
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 30, 2024
Re-read of a book that got me interested in running in the early 80s. Jim Ryun is a tremendously inspirational figure, but alas the book doesn’t hold up well compared to my memory. The book could really have used a strong editor.
March 7, 2021
This book is out of print but a coaching friend lent it to me and wow! What an inspirational story of what a young man can do if he is willing to put in the work.
February 13, 2017
Most of the things I want to say about this book turn out to incorporate running metaphors. That unfortunately makes it sound corny, but here goes:
This is a fun and fast read. The writing is very simple, straight-forward, and chronological. It picks up somewhere in Jim Ryun's middle-early high school gangly, uncoordinated years in which he suffered terrible side effects of a congenital inner ear malformation that gave him poor balance. But he wanted to be an athlete. And he impressed his high school coach enough that Timmons, the coach, told him he could become great. Over the next several years, he ran >4000 miles, mostly doing two-a-day workouts and not pointing before races unless there were important competitions. He became the youngest person to make the Olympic track team, and eventually the youngest person to hold the world record for the mile. He was also a humble, good, thoughtful person and a quiet leader. The book tells that story, and ends in 1967, when he was 19, was athlete of the year, and had just broken the world record.
Middle distance runners take some of the worst pain imaginable.
This is a fun and fast read. The writing is very simple, straight-forward, and chronological. It picks up somewhere in Jim Ryun's middle-early high school gangly, uncoordinated years in which he suffered terrible side effects of a congenital inner ear malformation that gave him poor balance. But he wanted to be an athlete. And he impressed his high school coach enough that Timmons, the coach, told him he could become great. Over the next several years, he ran >4000 miles, mostly doing two-a-day workouts and not pointing before races unless there were important competitions. He became the youngest person to make the Olympic track team, and eventually the youngest person to hold the world record for the mile. He was also a humble, good, thoughtful person and a quiet leader. The book tells that story, and ends in 1967, when he was 19, was athlete of the year, and had just broken the world record.
Middle distance runners take some of the worst pain imaginable.
July 31, 2008
Back in 1964 Jim Ryun was a junior in (Wichita, Kansas)high school when he became the first high school athlete to run a sub-4 minute,thus etching his name in the annals of sports history. This is an interesting read if you are a track & field nut - my family is : ) My husband has been a cross-country and a track&field coach for 45 years.
I was introduced to the book in '68 or '69 when I visited a cousin in California whose next-door neighbor was a cousin to Jim Ryun and blah, blah, blah. I wish I still had a copy of the book - lost through the ages.
Ryun went on to establish himself as a congressman from Kansas 1996-2007. He is running again during the 2008 election - it'll be interesting to see how he does - he certainly has the fortitude. The Jim Ryun Story was written in 1967 by Corder Nelson, a Track and Field (magazine) writer and editor. Ryun himself came out with a book in 2006 - "The Courage to Run". I haven't read it but imagine it weaves together his sports, personal and congressional life.
I was introduced to the book in '68 or '69 when I visited a cousin in California whose next-door neighbor was a cousin to Jim Ryun and blah, blah, blah. I wish I still had a copy of the book - lost through the ages.
Ryun went on to establish himself as a congressman from Kansas 1996-2007. He is running again during the 2008 election - it'll be interesting to see how he does - he certainly has the fortitude. The Jim Ryun Story was written in 1967 by Corder Nelson, a Track and Field (magazine) writer and editor. Ryun himself came out with a book in 2006 - "The Courage to Run". I haven't read it but imagine it weaves together his sports, personal and congressional life.
July 9, 2019
Probably the most-important book of my teens, as measured by inspiration. Even if today I only remember but a handful objectives scenes from the book (road running, the brutal 400m repeats, how taxing the 2-mile record race was, rivalry with Snell (about whom I went on to read afterwords), etc.) - the feeling and imagery stayed with me forever.
(the edition that I read is a Russian translation, published by Физкультура и Спорт in 1974)
(the edition that I read is a Russian translation, published by Физкультура и Спорт in 1974)
December 21, 2008
Sometimes Jim Ryun is forgotten in American Running history. His story tells not only of the amazing talent and ability but of the unsurpassable work ethic towards his running. This motivating me to train harder and run faster. Unfortunately the book is out of print and goes for about $100-150 on Amazon or Ebay.
May 21, 2008
All-time favorite running book. Informative, inspiring and extremely well-written.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews