Hal Higdon

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Hal Higdon is an American writer and runner. He has contributed to Runner's World magazine longer than any other writer. He is the author of 34 books, including the best-selling Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide. He has worked as a freelance writer since 1959, and has written a variety of subjects including a children's book that was made into an animated feature. He ran eight times in the United States Olympic Trials and won four world masters championships. He is one of the founders of the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA).

1 Life and work
- 1.1 Runner's World
- 1.2 Other accomplishments
2 Books
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Life and work

Hal Higdon has been writing and running for half a century. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois. In 1947, he paticipated in track at the University of Chicago's Laboratory School. He placed fourth in the conference with a 5:04.7 mile. Due to switching schools, he did not run in his junior year, but he started again in his senior year and has been running ever since. ^[1]

Higdon attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He won the Midwest Conference titles in the mile, half-mile and cross-country. His best mile time (post-college time) was 4:13.6, and he had notable success at running long distances races. In 1952, he participated in the US Olympic Trials for 10,000 meters. It was the first of eight Trials appearances for Higdon, with a high-water mark of fifth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase in 1960. He had two other top-ten Trials finishes. (Only the top three make the Olympic team.)

In 1959, Higdon participated in the Boston Marathon, (his first marathon) though he dropped out at 22 miles. Five years later, he led through 19 miles before being passed by Aurele Vandendriessche, who won the race. Higdon took fifth (first American), clocking a personal best of 2:21:55. He has completed 111 marathons and has won four overall victories and numerous age-group firsts. In his article, Demolition Derby published in the Michigan Runner, Higdon said, "We take our victories where and when we can get them." ^[2]

Higdon has worked as a freelance writer since 1959, covering various subjects including politics for the New York Times Magazine, science for National Geographic, business for Playboy and aviation for Air & Space Smithsonian. In 1963, Sports Illustrated published his article "On the Run from Dogs and People," which was expanded into a book in 1971.

[edit] Runner's World

In 1966, Higdon received a letter from a high school student in Overland Park, Kansas. The student, Bob Anderson, had started a magazine titled Distance Running News and he was seeking Higdon's help. Higdon offered an article that he had written for Sports Illustrated to be published as a reprint in the second issue of Distance Running News; the publication that eventually became Runner's World magazine.^[3] In 1968, during the Olympics, Higdon introduced George Sheehan to Joe Henderson who later recruited him as medical editor for the magazine.

In 2006, a commemorative book was released in honor of the Boston Marathon. The book, edited by noted running author and Marathon & Beyond editor Richard Benyo, contains several articles written by Hal Higdon.^[4]

[edit] Other accomplishments

Higdon's children's book, "The Horse That Played Center Field" was made into an animated feature by ABC-TV.

In 1980, Higdon received a Journalism Award as one of the founders of the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) and was named to the RRCA Hall of Fame. In 1986, Higdon was a finalist in NASA's Journalist-in-Space program to ride the space shuttle.

In 1995, the North American Ski Journalists Association presented him with its Harold Hirsch Award for ski columns that appeared in the South Bend Tribune. At the American Society of Journalist and Author's annual meeting in 2003, the Society gave Higdon its Career Achievement Award, the highest honor given to writer members.

In 1975, Higdon's book "Leopold and Loeb, The Crime of the Century" was published. The book was reprinted in 1999 on the crime's 75th anniversary. The Oakland tribune wrote: "Higdon's book outdoes anything Alfred Hitchcock ever filmed. It is a masterpiece of suspense." -- Oakland Tribune ^[5]

Higdon currently lives with his wife, Rose, in Long Beach Indiana. Rose has co-authored a book with him about her Italo-Albanian heritage: "Falconara: A Family Odyssey." They have three children and nine grandchildren.

[edit] Books

Higdon, Hal, The Union vs Dr. Mudd (1964), Follett, ASIN B0006BM038
Higdon, Hal, Inside Pro Football (1968), Grosset & Dunlap, ASIN B000GQHDL2
Higdon, Hal, The Horse that Played Center Field, Holt Rinehart and Winston; 1st edition (1969), ASIN B000GHTCP6
Higdon, Hal, The Business Healers (1969), ASIN B0006DEMPA
Higdon, Hal, Champions of the Tennis Court (1971), Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0131254197
Higdon, Hal, The Electronic Olympics (1971), Henry Holt & Company, Inc., ISBN 0030802245
Higdon, Hal, Finding the Groove (1973), Putman, ISBN 0399111441
Higdon, Hal, The Last Series (1974), Dutton, ISBN 0525333959
Higdon, Hal, Hitting, Pitching and Fielding (1978) Putnam Pub Group Library, ISBN 0399611177
Higdon, Hal, Beginners Running Guide (1987) Anderson World; Revised edition, ISBN 089037130X
Higdon, Hal, Run Fast: How to Train for a 5-K or 10-K Race (1992), Rodale, ISBN 0875961037
Higdon, Hal, Marathon: The Ultimate Guide (1993) , Rodale, ISBN 0875961592
Higdon, Hal, Johnny Rutherford (1994), X-S Books, Inc., ISBN 0399611363
Higdon, Hal, On the Run from Dogs and People (1995), Roadrunner Pr; 3RD edition, ISBN 0963634623
Higdon, Hal, Hal Higdon's How to Train: The Best Programs, Workouts, And Schedules For Runners Of All Ages (1997) Rodale, ISBN 0875963528
Higdon, Hal, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide (1999), ISBN 1579541712
Higdon, Hal, Run Fast: How to Beat Your Best Time--- Every Time (2000) Rodale Books; Rev Ed edition, ISBN 1579542697
Henderson, Joe, and Hal Higdon, Running 101 (2000), Human Kinetics Publishers; 1 edition (August 2000) ISBN 0736030565
Higdon, Hal, Marathon A-Z, (2002), The Lyons Press, ISBN 1585744530
Higdon, Hal, Masters Running: A Guide To Running And Staying Fit After 40 (2005) Rodale, ISBN 1594860211
Higdon, Hal, Marathon (2006) Rodale International Ltd, ISBN 1405087994