Tony's Take: Book Review Of Writer Randy Sharer's New Book


The great Craig Virgin interviews 2014 3200m state champion Jesse Reiser (McHenry)

It was only a matter of time before I took some time to read the opening credits of a great writer Randy Sharer's book "Virgin Territory." Let me tell you that he really breaks it all down with the assistance of namesake Craig Virgin. If you love reading sports books, you are going to fall in love with this gem.

As the legend of Steve Prefontaine continues to shine 42 years after his death, distance running fans sometimes overlook the man who broke several of Prefontaine's records. A new book by Bloomington-based sports journalist Randy Sharer recounts the breaking of Prefontaine's national high school two-mile record in 1972 by Illinois native Craig Virgin. That feat and many others from Craig's career appear in this 322-page book titled "Virgin Territory: The Story of Craig Virgin, America's Renaissance Runner." To order, visit www.craigvirginbook.com. Below is an excerpt detailing Craig's record two-mile run of 8:40.9.