Kings of the Road: How Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and Alberto Salazar Made Running Go Boom
The lengthy subtitle states this book’s thesis, though the words “in America” might have been added. The volume captures a bright decade in American road racing, from Shorter’s marathon victory at the 1972 Olympics to Rodgers’ dominance mid-decade, to Salazar’s later ascendancy. It possesses a period charm. The author concentrates not on the major international marathons but on the shorter but highly popular Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod. It fails, though, to make the larger case, the “how” of the subtitle. Lost in the thunder of running American feet is the looming domination of the sport by the Africans, and Stracher understates the influence of women runners such as Joan Benoit Samuelson and the role of the athletic-shoe companies in fostering running as a mass phenomenon. He argues unconvincingly that race organizer Fred Lebow’s insistence upon inclusivity in the New York Marathon ultimately hurt the sport. What remains is an account that will largely interest runners and dedicated fans of the sport. Publication will coincide with this year’s Boston Marathon, an event that no American man has won in 30 years. --Mark Levine