Abel Kiviat, National Champion

Abel Kiviat (1892-1991) was one of track and field¿s legendary personalities, a world record-holder and Olympic medalist in the metric mile. A teenage prodigy, he defeated Hall of Fame runners before his twentieth birthday. Alan S. Katchen brings Kiviat¿s fascinating story to life and re-creates a lost world, when track and field was at the height of its popularity and occupying a central place in America¿s sporting world. The seven and oldest child of Moishe and Zelda Kiviat, Jewish immigrants from Poland, Abel competed as "the Hebrew runner" for New York¿s famed Irish-American Athletic Club and was elected its captain.