Staying the Course: A Runner's Toughest Race

Rating:
Summary: Perseverance pays off
Review: Dick Beardsley appeared at the Grandma's Marathon in June 2002 where I heard him speak. He was so inspiring, I decided to buy his book. He graciously signed each book and talked to each person as if you were his new best friend.
His book is a reflection of his friendly personality and the intensity he brings to whatever he does. He recounts some great anecdotes including how he secured a running sponsership and how he had no choice but to run over a child when he won Grandma's Marathon in 1981. Then he touchingly describes the numerous accidents he experienced, his subsequent addictions to pain pills, and the struggles to overcome them.
Inspiring for both runners and non-runners. Beardsley is the kind of guy who has what it takes to perserve and make bad into good. His book will get you fired up to do so yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Great story
Review: I sat down last night and picked up this book thinking I was going to read a few pages and go to bed. I ended up reading the entire thing.

I picked up my copy at the Boston Marathon Expo this year (my first marathon). Dick Beardsley was there and signing copies including mine. He didn't just sign it, but he wrote a personal message in every single one. Took the time to talk to everyone, asked me about my marathon coming up, etc. For several minutes.

So I figured, "OK, he's a nice guy but his book is probably not going to be memorable." But it was. The man thoroughly loved running from the beginning like few people ever do. It fires you up to hear him talk about it. Yes he was talented, but he did an amazing amount of work because he just plain loved it. He simply trained himself to world class level.

My favorite part was how he got shoe company sponsorship. At the time (around 1980) he was not much of a marathoner compared to the talent this country had (back then he'd "only" done 2:20 - fantastic by my standards but not by theirs, I guess). Still, he simply made his way into a shoe convention that was closed to the public and talked to shoe company reps (giving them his resume) until one of them (New Balance) took a chance to him. And when other companies tried to buy him off after he started doing well, he stayed loyal. Just a straight shooter.

I was there (in Wellesley Hills) for his famous "Duel in the Sun" with Salazar. His description of the race is worth the price alone. At the time he'd done 2:09 but most people didn't know who he was. We all knew about Alberto Salazar and Bill Rodgers, but "Beardsley?" Who was that? Yet here he was, this unknown, taking it right to the best marathoner in the world for the entire race. Never giving an inch. What an epic race.

Finally, he holds nothing back when talking about his subsequent problems with injuries, accidents, and addiction. Throughout it all, he's just the same guy. Straightforward, incredibly nice and a huge running fan.

Look, clearly this isn't Shakespeare. I give it 5 stars not because it's Pulitzer material but because it is well written and it grabs you. Yes, I bought it because I like running books, but it's more than that. It's part running book, part through-hell-and-back book. It's a straight ahead story of a genuine guy who made amazing achievements and came through astoundingly hard times. He doesn't brag or hide his mistakes or faults. He just tells you what happened and what he was thinking and you keep turning the pages.

I'm normally somewhat cynical, but you can't be about Dick Beardsley. You just like him too much and want him to succeed. After reading this, I was so fired up to train for my next marathon, I couldn't believe it. And this at was 2:00 A.M. two days after Boston when my legs were dead.

Incidentally, Beardsley ran Boston "easily" this year, just for fun and only finished a couple of minutes behind me!

-Joe O'Leary

Rating:
Summary: Take a chance on this book. You won't regret it.
Review: I sat down last night and picked up this book thinking I was going to read a few pages and go to bed. I ended up reading the entire thing.

I picked up my copy at the Boston Marathon Expo this year (my first marathon). Dick Beardsley was there and signing copies including mine. He didn't just sign it, but he wrote a personal message in every single one. Took the time to talk to everyone, asked me about my marathon coming up, etc. For several minutes.

So I figured, "OK, he's a nice guy but his book is probably not going to be memorable." But it was. The man thoroughly loved running from the beginning like few people ever do. It fires you up to hear him talk about it. Yes he was talented, but he did an amazing amount of work because he just plain loved it. He simply trained himself to world class level.

My favorite part was how he got shoe company sponsorship. At the time (around 1980) he was not much of a marathoner compared to the talent this country had (back then he'd "only" done 2:20 - fantastic by my standards but not by theirs, I guess). Still, he simply made his way into a shoe convention that was closed to the public and talked to shoe company reps (giving them his resume) until one of them (New Balance) took a chance to him. And when other companies tried to buy him off after he started doing well, he stayed loyal. Just a straight shooter.

I was there (in Wellesley Hills) for his famous "Duel in the Sun" with Salazar. His description of the race is worth the price alone. At the time he'd done 2:09 but most people didn't know who he was. We all knew about Alberto Salazar and Bill Rodgers, but "Beardsley?" Who was that? Yet here he was, this unknown, taking it right to the best marathoner in the world for the entire race. Never giving an inch. What an epic race.

Finally, he holds nothing back when talking about his subsequent problems with injuries, accidents, and addiction. Throughout it all, he's just the same guy. Straightforward, incredibly nice and a huge running fan.

Look, clearly this isn't Shakespeare. I give it 5 stars not because it's Pulitzer material but because it is well written and it grabs you. Yes, I bought it because I like running books, but it's more than that. It's part running book, part through-hell-and-back book. It's a straight ahead story of a genuine guy who made amazing achievements and came through astoundingly hard times. He doesn't brag or hide his mistakes or faults. He just tells you what happened and what he was thinking and you keep turning the pages.

I'm normally somewhat cynical, but you can't be about Dick Beardsley. You just like him too much and want him to succeed. After reading this, I was so fired up to train for my next marathon, I couldn't believe it. And this at was 2:00 A.M. two days after Boston when my legs were dead.

Incidentally, Beardsley ran Boston "easily" this year, just for fun and only finished a couple of minutes behind me!

-Joe O'Leary

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read!
Review: I started running ~ 2 yrs ago. My wife got me the book, but I hadn't heard of Dick so the book sat. One evening I picked it up to see what it was all about and I was instantly and uncontrollably sucked in. Dick's story starts in HS where he went out for the football team, which lasted a few minutes. Then a friend suggested XC, and Dick fell in love with what turned out to be his calling -- running.

The story refers to 5/10K events, and explains how Dick got into Marathons (a whim). It then follows the course of the multitude of Marathons he ran in.

Dick had his battles in life too, as we all do, a theme that repeated itself. Dick had some very tough times, but in the end he prevailed. Big time!

My friend Mat just got back from Boston Marathon '03; Mat brought back an autograph from Dick for me. Having read his book, and knowing what a great guy Dick is, this will be treasured for years to come.

Net, net, it's a must read.

Rex

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read!
Review: I started running ~ 2 yrs ago. My wife got me the book, but I hadn't heard of Dick so the book sat. One evening I picked it up to see what it was all about and I was instantly and uncontrollably sucked in. Dick's story starts in HS where he went out for the football team, which lasted a few minutes. Then a friend suggested XC, and Dick fell in love with what turned out to be his calling -- running.

The story refers to 5/10K events, and explains how Dick got into Marathons (a whim). It then follows the course of the multitude of Marathons he ran in.

Dick had his battles in life too, as we all do, a theme that repeated itself. Dick had some very tough times, but in the end he prevailed. Big time!

My friend Mat just got back from Boston Marathon '03; Mat brought back an autograph from Dick for me. Having read his book, and knowing what a great guy Dick is, this will be treasured for years to come.

Net, net, it's a must read.

Rex

Rating:
Summary: Dick Beardsley relates to the common runner.
Review: I'm fortunate enough to be a Minnesota runner who has followed Dick's life since he first started well after college. How he got there was fascinating to me. It is a testament to the human will to see a person that faces such adversity, some perchance and some self-imposed, and to bounce back. He is still running, after all this. I've bought this book for other runners and I always get the same response "I read it more than once".

I'm not a big reader, but I read this and was rivetted. I challenge anyone, runner or non-runner, to buy this and finish it without being changed a little.

My hat's off to Dick and Mary Beardsley (Mary for sticking it out).

Rating:
Summary: Run Tall and Stay Strong
Review: This book is about the life of a runner named Dick Beardsley. It talks about his life goals in running and how he got into a bad habbit of using pain killers. The book takes place in the mainland, and not in a certain place because he traveled a lot to race. See i am a runner so i like the book because it gave me the motivation to go on when the going gets tough. If i compare this book to other book i would say it is not the best running book i have read but, it is better than the other types of books i have read. I think if you are a runner you will really like the book cause it teaches you to be tough in a race and some pointers on how to run marathons. If you do not run i dont think you will have a strong liking with this book. It can get kind of boring a some parts, but the parts that tell about his races really made me want to read on, so if you are a runner i think this book is better for you than if you are not a runner. So be a runner!

Rating:
Summary: Great fast read, but missing some points.
Review: This book is an entertaining fast read. However, certain details in Beardsley's life are strangely glossed over: Alcoholic parents/meeting his wife. The first hand account of the (famous) 82'Boston Marathon is so stunning and awsome, it leaves the rest of the book dangling.