The first of two in "A Tale of Two Runners" series, this novel follows the prep careers of a father and his son competing in different eras, one in the late 60's and the other in the new millennium. Like comparing Jim Ryun to Cole Hocker or Steve Prefontaine to Grant Fischer, the age-old argument persists to this day - which generation has the most talented athletes. With the extensive advances in exercise physiology, advent of all-weather track surfaces, and the invention of carbon-plated spikes, current performances have made a big leap. But how much of it can be attributed to science rather than innate ability? Would a time machine make it challenging to place odds on Ryun vs Hocker or Prefontaine vs Fischer. I suspect so.
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