Synopsis part 1

In the novel Once a Runner, author John L. Parker, Jr. intensely illustrates the life style that surrounds a college miler. Parker draws from his own personal experience as a three time mile champion of the Southeastern Conference in college to create a fictional story of a young runner named Quenton Cassidy. The story begins with a young man approaching a track at night. He observes the night joggers, as they observe him. As he walks toward the starting line he remembers back to years prior.

At this point you enter the world of college running. You’re introduced to Southeastern University where Quenton Cassidy is a promising miler. The author Parker briefs you on Doobey Hall early, the dorm house for the track and field athletes of Southeastern. It is fall and most of the athletes on campus are training – like they do all year – for the winter indoor and eventually spring outdoor season. Quenton is named captain and is constantly evaluating the incoming freshman to see who has real potential. One such runner that has stuck out of the pack is Jack Nubbins, A young hot shot that has potential to knock off Quenton as the top Miler on the team. Quenton doesn’t seem too concerned but, in early training Quenton stays with Nubbins constantly. Another runner on the team that you meet is Jerry Mizner, another distance man and a good friend of Quentons. The two train constantly, logging in nearly 18 miles a day.

As a reader you get a distinct early sense of the chemistry within the team at Southeastern University. The author explains everyone’s role on the team such as the relationship between the throwers and distance men and how the dynamics of their events leads to mutual respect. Sprinters on the other hand carry a swagger of their own, John L. Parker lightly touches on the subject of sprinting only to show that it is not important.

Quenton “falls in love” early in the book to a girl named Andrea. An attempt to introduce himself ends badly when he notices her running on a warm up run of his own. He tries to teach her proper running form, but his cute suggestions come across as pretentious and he strikes out. Quenton redeems himself a week later at a bar and the two hit it off. Andrea is quickly thrown into the world of dating a track athlete and struggles to deal with the traveling of Quenton at away meets. When the two are together at Southeastern they click. Spending nights on the pole vault mat and at Doobey hall, Andrea is fascinated by the way Quenton looks at the world, and fits into it.

John L. Parker Jr. does a fantastic job of keeping Quentons identity somewhat of a mystery while continuing the plot of the story in a way that keeps the reader interested. Parker leaves room for Quenton to grow before the spring outdoor season even begins.