Duel in the Sun Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, and America's Greatest Marathon

The 1982 Boston Marathon was great theater: Two American runners, Alberto Salazar, a celebrated champion, and Dick Beardsley, a gutsy underdog, going at each other for just under 2 hours and 9 minutes. Neither man broke. The race merely came to a thrilling, shattering end, exacting such an enormous toll that neither man ever ran as well again. Beardsley, the most innocent of men, descended into felony drug addiction, and Salazar, the toughest of men, fell prey to depression. Exquisitely written and rich with human drama,Duel in the Sunbrilliantly captures the mythic character of the most thrilling American marathon ever runand the powerful forces of fate that drove these two athletes in the years afterward.

JOHN BRANT has written regularly for Runner’s World since 1985 and has been a contributing editor for Outside magazine since 1992. His writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, and National Geographic Adventure, among other publications. The Runner’s World feature, on which this book is based, was included in Best American Sports Writing 2005. Brant lives in Portland, Oregon.

"A beautiful, heartbreaking book . . . Like that marathon 25 years ago, Duel in the Sun is absolutely riveting."—Michael Paterniti, author of Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America with Einstein's Brain

"It's an uplifting tale, all the more inspirational because it seems no uncomfortable detail has been spared in its telling. . . astonishing."—San Francisco Chronicle
"Two inspiring tales, well told."—Booklist