Steve Scott the Miler: America's Legendary Runner Talks About His Triumphs and Trials (Hardcover)

by Steve Scott (Author), Marc Bloom (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Meet Steve Scott: three-time Olympian, the American mile record holder (at 3:47.69), and runner of 136 sub-4:00 miles and counting. His talent and determination have led him to the pinnacle of worldwide track and field for the better part of his 20-year career. Scott chronicles his epic battles with European milers while tracing the modern day history of the sport; he tackles the controversial issues facing track and field and talks frankly about the demands placed on his family life as a result of his grueling international racing schedule. Scott also speaks about his recent fight against testicular cancer, reveals how he overcame that life-threatening illness, and stresses the importance of staying fit for a healthy life. Now forty, Scott has entered the masters divisionand he has one more goal to reach. Watch for him in 1997 as he pushes to break the masters mile record set by his longtime competitor, Eamonn Coglan, at 3:58.15. Inspirational, thoughtful, and packed with Scotts wacky antics as the track circuits leading practical joker, The Miler is sure to delight running enthusiasts and all those who love athletics.Steve Scott is the most extraordinary American mile runner in history. Currently sponsored by Asics running shoes and Soaring Eagle Ventures, Scott lives with his wife and three children in southern California. Marc Bloom is a

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: MacMillan Publishing Company (September 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028616774
• ISBN-13: 978-0028616773
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #769,356 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars America's best miler reviews his career, warts and all., April 20, 1998

By	M. Tatar "taterman6" (USA) - See all my reviews

The sport of track and field has only a limited audience in the U.S. American athletes typically receive recognition only after setting a world record or winning an Olympic gold medal. Steve Scott, America's top miler throughout the 1980s, did neither. In his book, The Miler, Scott writes of a running career in which he unquestionably was America's best miler (his U.S. record of 3:47.69, set in 1982, still stands), and certainly one of the world's best (10 consecutive years ranked among the world's top 10 milers by Track & Field News). Yet without a world record or Olympic gold medal to his credit, Scott remained virtually unknown outside the small U.S. track and field community. The Miler traces Scott's reluctant beginnings as a high school runner, his development into a national-class competitor in college, and his emergence as a world-class racer. Along the way we're treated to profiles of Scott's leading international competitors, all icons in the history of the mile: John Walker, Eamonn Coghlan, Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Said Aouita. Scott beat them all, but not in either of the two races -- the '84 or '88 Olympics -- which would have brought him the recognition and financial rewards that accompany a gold medal. The Miler is not simply a book about running. Scott details the struggles he faced to support his wife and kids early in his career, when track and field was still regarded as an "amateur" sport. Scott also writes frankly of the toll the nomadic career of a track and field athlete exacted upon his marriage. Although it probably was cathartic for Scott to write these passages, it is uncomfortable for even a dedicated track & field fan to read. Despite this, I admire Scott for his willingness to write something other than the puff pieces that frequently pass for the biographies of famous athletes. He deals frankly with some of track and fields' unsavory elements -- unscrupulous meet promoters, under-the-table payments, agents, drugs, stars avoiding races with potential rivals, and track's governing bodies -- and isn't afraid of putting himself in the middle of situations that don't frame him in the best light. In fact, perhaps in an effort to balance his career's many triumphs, he frequently seems to come down too hard on himself. He writes extensively of his failures at the Olympics, but covers the race in which he set the American record for the mile in a few paragraphs. He takes great pride in having run more sub-4 minute miles (136) than any miler in history, but dwells more on how another runner, John Walker, beat him to the "media friendly" 100th sub-4 mile goal. I would have liked to have read more of his numerous triumphs, and less of his real or perceived shortcomings. Scott also write of the challenge of, and eventual triumph over, his most formidable opponent: cancer. The story of his recovery from testicular cancer and return to competition demonstrates that sheer force of will, more than physical ability, is the true mark of a champion. The Miler certainly will appeal to fans of track & field. But it should also find a wider audience among those who are curious as to the challenges, costs and rewards that come to those who strive for world class status in any field. For in The Miler Scott shows himself to be a winner not only on the track, but also in the ongoing race called life.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Underated Miler who should be remembered , February 24, 2007

By	John W. Matney (Clayton, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I can understand why the general public didn't buy this book. It's appeal is to those of us who have undergone the "Trial of Miles." Like Once a Runner's Cassidy, Scott gave it everything and sacrificed much, as did his family. Yet, like Cassidy, he didn't win the Gold, so the ignorant have forgotten him. Even so, he should be remembered for his dedication to the sport and his willingness to give everything, to be the front runner, to not hide until the final lap, so, like Prefontaine, he is an inspiration to runners. A very good book. I wish him and his family well.
John Matney
Oregon, 81

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars America's greatest miler tells his story, May 15, 2006

By	Geoff Pietsch (Gainesville, FL) - See all my reviews

Near the end of his autobiography, Steve Scott talks about running in the National Cross Country Championships in Montana (there are pictures of the race in the book). It was 4 degreees and snowy. Scott was past his prime as one of the greatest milers in the world. He didn't need to run the race; few World Class milers run serious 10K cross country at any time, let alone in their declining years. But Steve Scott loves to run. He loves to train very hard and run very fast. He finished 10th that day, not far behind distance greats like Pat Porter and Todd Williams, and just a few seconds away from qualifying as a member of the U.S. team for the World Cross Counttry Championships. Afterwards he overheard a couple of young runners talking. One said, in obvious surprise, "Did you see Steve Scott finished 10th? I thought he'd retired." His friend responded, "I thought he was dead."
Well Steve Scott ain't dead folks, and I'll bet wherever he is right now he's still running far and fast. Scott's autobiography is hard to find now. It never caught on the way some of the books for joggers did - or those about another Steve: Prefontaine. But read Scott's book if you can find it. Serious runners will love it and even joggers will be fascinated by its honesty and by the character - in both senses of the word - that Scott reveals. Jim Ryun remains the legendary American miler, but he would have been 30 meters behind Scott in their best races. Ryun gave up the sport in his early 20s because he couldn't handle the pressure; Scott raced at the highest levels for 20 years.
With the help of Marc Bloom, the longtime dedicated chronicler of Cross Country and Track, Scott helps us understand his love for running and for being really fit. He was "Pre" without the sharp edges. He deserves to be better known and more honored. But even if that never happens, no one can ever take away what he accomplsihed. The numbers - 3:47.69, and 136 sub-4:00s - will stand for as long as runners circle the track for four laps.