I’ve Finally Found The Purple Runner

Posted on Mar 15, 2008 under Running Books | 2 Comments

I was lucky to finally stumble across a copy of The Purple Runner for sale on Amazon, so I bought it. It should be here sometime next week, I think. “Used, Good Condition” was the description provided by the seller, so I hope that was accurate. I’m kind of anal about the condition of my books, I guess, but you don’t have much choice with long out-of-print titles sometimes.

Regardless, ever since I first heard about this book — ignore for the moment that I had a chance to buy it years ago and for whatever reason didn’t — I’ve wanted to read it. The mysterious, disfigured, and reclusive runner turning in electrifying workouts but avoiding contact with the other runners just kind of stuck with me as someone I wanted to know more about. The idea just fascinated me. Who wouldn’t want to be The Purple Runner? (Minus the facial disfigurement, of course.) He’s out there withering and blistering the trails and leaving everyone who sees him scratching their heads, trying to figure out what makes him tick so? It just seems to me that would be delicious fun, I reckon.

Well, soon, I get to find out who he was and why he runs as he does. I can hardly wait.

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2 Responses to “I’ve Finally Found The Purple Runner”

  1. Hudson Says:
    March 18th, 2008 at 9:31 pm

    I own a very aggressively reinforced copy of TPR and consider it one of my faves. I’d also recommend Long Road to Boston, if you can find it, by Bruce W. Tuckman, published by Mr. Parker’s Cedarwinds Press in 1988.

    Please publish your review of TPR when you finish it.

    Best, Hudson

  2. Ric Says:
    March 18th, 2008 at 10:25 pm

    Thanks for the recommendation on Long Road to Boston.

    I’ve read — probably a review on Amazon — that Once A Runner, The Purple Runner, and Long Road to Boston form the “big three” of running novels, probably of all time. As many people tell me that OAR is their favorite, too, also recommend that I pick up the other two titles as soon as I can.

    I’m definitely looking forward to finally reading The Purple Runner. I’ve got myself predisposed to liking it sight unseen, but I’ll definitely comment on it when I’m through reading.

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