The Five and Ten Men

Ten Men Who Redefined Distance Running

Richard Amery

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English

Distancedreaming
22 October 2019

Track & field sports, athletics; Active outdoor pursuits

The modern era of distance running began in the early years of the last century. The classic distances for competition have been the five and ten thousand metres. Over this period, the records for both distances have been broken many times by a variety of athletes from many different countries.

The records of today are far removed from those set from earlier eras. The world records of today would have been largely unimaginable only a few decades ago. Over the period covered in this book, the five thousand metre record has been reduced by some two minutes, while the ten thousand metre record has come down by almost five minutes.

Despite the obvious similarities between the two events, only ten men have succeeded in breaking the world record in both distances, making for a very select group. The group comprises runners from Finland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Russia, Australia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

This book looks at the careers of those ten men, the eras in which they competed, the types of training they undertook, and their lives outside of their sporting careers. As such, it is of interest for the social and political times in which they lived in addition to their purely sporting achievements.

By: Richard Amery
Imprint: Distancedreaming
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 476g
ISBN: 9780648561408
ISBN 10: 0648561402
Pages: 310
Publication Date: 22 October 2019
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Richard Amery has been a runner for as long as he can remember. He would be the first to admit that his interest for the sport far outweighed his ability. After retiring from his career as a secondary school teacher he decided to write the sort of book that he would have liked available to his younger self. Some years ago, he and his wife Christine bought a farm in the Adelaide hills about an hour from Adelaide, and he now spends his time equally between the city and the farm. When not doing farm work, most mornings he can be seen running through the adjoining forest with just his trusty border collie and endless kangaroos for company.

Reviews for The Five and Ten Men: Ten Men Who Redefined Distance Running

"""Only 10 men have held both (the 5 and 10km) world records. And it is through this lens that Richard Amery chooses to trace the history of modern distance running in his book The Five and Ten Men: Ten Men Who Redefined Distance Running. It is clear that a lot of research went into this book. Amery tells the story of hundreds of races in this book - every major championship for all 10 subjects plus most of the other races in their prime.The details & analyses are insightful...the book is an impressive feat.""..Jonathan Gault - Let's Run.com ""This book seems directed at that niche market of poor souls addicted to running but such are the historical & political facts woven into the narrative that it has a much broader appeal. Amery who won the SA state marathon in 1975, takes us on a compelling journey from Finland to a small town in Ethiopa that has produced 10 Olympic gold medals. From Nurmi to Bekele. I couldn't put it down."" Graham Cornes -The Advertiser ""In his splendid new book, The Five and Ten Men: Ten Men Who Redefined Distance Running, Amery brings this group to life through an expansive recounting of their careers. It's a valuable book for the nostalgic fan, as well as the novice who wants to learn more about the sport's rich history."" Paul O'Shea - Once Upon A Time In The Vest ""One of the most difficult things to do when writing this kind of book is to combine fact with passion. Another factor in writing this book is to go into the historical events at the time of these runners' performances and how their performances not only affected the Sport, but also influenced the times they thrived in. Amery does this as smoothly as Emil Zatopek did in the Helsinki Olympics of 1952 in both the Five and Ten!"" Jeff Benjamin - RunBlogRun ""My first thought on receiving the book was ""Do I want to read about these folks again?"" But Amery's accounts of their development, competitive careers, and post-career successes and tribulations are so excellent that it all reads like a novel"" Ed Fox - Track & Field News ""Make track distance running your specialist subject on Mastermind if you are already aware of every fact & anecdote The Five and Ten Men offers. Nor is it mere information gathering: Amery offers an assessment of where each man fits in his own era and into the bigger picture, too."" Len Johnson-Runner's Tribe ""The editorial style is to work a way through each athlete's career, describing notable races in detail, and all credit to the author for undertaking this task"" Bob Phillips-TrackStats"