Need a stocking filler for the runner in your life? Look no further than the Irish Runner Yearbook 2012 – in it, you’ll find listings of fixtures for the next 12 months, an extensive London 2012 preview, and interviews with marathon hopefuls Linda Byrne and Mark Kenneally, Athlete of the Year Deirdre Ryan and middle distance sensation Ciaran O Lionaird, as well as with Usain Bolt and Mo Farah.
Looking back on 2011, the yearbook reviews the 35 new Irish records set in 2011 and profiles 12 young athletes to watch out for in 2012. All for just €7.95 from your local newsgent, or direct fom Athletics Ireland!
* Worth seeking out is “In Their Bare Feet – a History of Derrydonnell AC” by Athenry ultra man Mick Rice. This beautifully produced book recalls the exploits of legendary Galway athletes Mick Molloy, Willie Morris and Tommy Madden during the 1950s and 1960s – a time when athletics was more local, and more innocent. From the Athenry Athletics Club website for €20.
* Also just out is a history of Donegal Athletics (in two volumes) by Bernie Callaghan.
Here are a few excellent books from British publishers:
The Ghost Runner by Bill Jones tells the tragic story of John Tarrant, banned for life from “amateur” athletics because he’d been paid £17 as a teenage boxer. So he became the “ghost runner” sneaking into races without a number or official recognition. Even after the British officials finally relented and allowed him to race in England, they wouldn’t let him represent England, and put pressure on other countries, such as the USA and South Africa, to ensure that he couldn’t run abroad. Tarrant died aged just 42. From Mainstream Publishing for £12.99.
Plimsolls on, Eyeballs Out by Rob Hadcraft tells the story of the rise and horrendous fall of marathon legend Jim Peters – the first man to break 2 hrs 20 mins for the marathon.His collapse in the latter stages of the Empire Games Marathon at Vancouver in 1954 was every bit as dramatic as Paula Radcliffe’s disaster in Athens. Published by Desert Island Books at £14.99.
Ken Jones – Boots and Spikes by Steve Lewis. Ken Jones was a top Welsh sprinter and rugby player. He won 44 caps for Wales and was a 4x100m medal winner at the 1948 Olympics. Lewis tells his story in a hardback book with lots of vintage black and white photos. Published by Sportsbooks Ltd at £18.99. Also from Sportsbooks comes Usain Bolt – the story of the world’s fastest man, by Steven Downes. Price £7.99.
* For the sports photographer in your life: Capture the Moment is a practical
guide to sports photography by Andy Hooper. Published by Wiley at £14.99.
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