"The women at Wellesley at last were all I had hoped for, and more," she writes. "In 1967 they were nonexistent, and in 1970, also a cold and miserable rain, they were scarce. Today they were out in force and went absolutely crazy when they saw me. For the first time, I felt the noise of their screaming bounce off my chest; the only time I'd felt that before was when I was a kid at a parade and felt the concussion of the big drums in the marching band. I was always proud of being a woman and I was proud enough of my running to need little outside affirmation, but the cheers of the Wellesley women made up for a lot of dark training nights. I felt my eyes sting with tears; I knew the cheers would sustain me for months."

The book ends with the 1984 Olympic Women's Marathon and is told through her job as a television commentator. It is another wonderful milestone that we too often take for granted in the multitude of opportunities available to women today.

The only disappointing aspect of the book is its abrupt end. I wanted to know how she incorporated running into her life as she aged, but maybe that's another story altogether. The accounts of several different witnesses to her 1967 race were very interesting, especially the poem by one of her teammates.

This is a book runners will love, even those who've never attempted a marathon. She describes very beautifully the spiritual aspects of running and the camaraderie that hooks so many on the sport. Even those who hate running will enjoy reading about how participating in athletics will offer a person benefits beyond measure, even decades after the competition has ended.

e-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com