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Featured Author:
~ Don Kardong
I didn't set out to have a career as either a runner or a
writer. Running
was something I enjoyed, a skill I was reasonably good at. Same
with
writing. But neither seemed substantial enough to build my life
around.
I was intrigued with writing, a fascination that began in
high school. I
admired authors who could put together words in ways that would
entertain, enlighten, inspire. A well-told story seemed beautiful,
the
words immortal. What could be better than expressing yourself
so well
that your words would last for ages?
I enjoyed the challenge of putting words together myself,
too, in ways
that expressed what I was thinking or feeling. In college, I
gravitated
toward literature and creative writing classes. But while my
parents were
supportive, they also understood that successful careers in the
arts were
tough sledding. "Can you name any writer who didn't die
broke?" my
father once asked. These days I could, maybe even list dozens
who lived
comfortable lives and died prosperous. But money in the bank
wasn't the
point. I simply enjoyed writing for the satisfaction of creating
something
that might get a response from whoever read it.
My running followed a similar path. It brought me satisfaction,
pride
from reaching goals through hard work. It wasn't until my senior
year in
college that the prospect of making an Olympic team bewitched
me. I
decided to make the attempt, to follow an unusual path. Eventually,
it led
to the 1976 Olympic Marathon in Montreal, Canada, where I finished
fourth.
That success opened doors to a writing career. A magazine
asked me to
write about my Olympic experience. I was hired to write about
training,
other marathons, fellow runners, strange events. Before long,
I was
writing full-time, telling stories about running adventures in
the Grand
Canyon, up the Empire State Building, and through the streets
of
Vietnam.
Over the years, I've managed to nurture the fascination that
both running
and writing held for me in high school. In running, it's the
satisfaction of
putting one foot in front of the other, pursuing a goal. In writing,
it's the
challenge of putting one word in front of the other, well enough
that
readers are entertained, enlightened and inspired by the result.
~
Don Kardong, competed in several national class road races
before and after his participation in the 1976 Olympic Marathon,
and in the fall of 1976 he suggested to a local reporter that
Spokane should have a downtown run of its own. The suggestion
made its way into the newspaper's headlines.
After the inaugural run on May 1, 1977, Bloomsday and its
founder are still making headlines. Over a thousand runners participated
the first year, while more recently Bloomsday has drawn over
60,000 participants. This year the 25th running of Bloomsday
could break previous participation records.
Kardong, a senior writer for Runner's World, has written a
book about the Bloomsday phenomenon: Bloomsday a City in Motion.
Other books by Kardong include: Thirty Phone Booths to Boston:
Tales of a Wayward Runner and more recently Hills, Hawgs &
Ho Chi Minh: More Tales of a Wayward Runner.
On the Web
Books By Kardong are available at the following online
book stores:
www.amazon.com
www.auntiesbooks.com
www.bn.com
Runner's World Magazine
Search this web site for articles written by or about Kardong.
Be sure to read about Kardong's adventure of taking cell phone
calls during the Boston Marathon.
www.runnersworld.com
Sign Up for Bloomsday Online
www.bloomsdayrun.org
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