February 2024 MBR The Sports Shelf

The Sports Shelf

Running Up the Mountain
Matt Baxter, author
Ron Mann, author
Soulstice Publishing
9781734989960, $28.95, HC, 296pp

https://www.amazon.com/Running-Up-Mountain-Northern-Lumberjack/dp/173498996=
3

Synopsis: In a remote Arizona mountain town more than half a century ago, a=
 collegiate dynasty was born. Northern Arizona University learned about exc=
ellence in the altitude mecca of Flagstaff, a training ground for generatio=
ns of legendary runners. But this school with no traditional powerhouse cre=
dentials fought to build momentum and a culture of success over decades bef=
ore finally exploding to become the country's preeminent distance-running t=
eam.

Authored by three-time cross country All-American Matt Baxter and Hall of F=
ame coach Ron Mann, "Running Up the Mountain: Northern Arizona Altitude, Lu=
mberjack Attitude, and the Building of a Distance Dynasty" authentically ca=
ptures NAU's humble origins and growing pains, culminating in an insider's =
perspective that will delight running fans.

Running Up the Mountain is a moving portrait of an elite squad with colorfu=
l characters fighting to reach the summit of their sport amid the pressure =
of intense rivalries and the jarring impact of COVID-19. From quaint beginn=
ings to national champs, grit and commitment endure as defining features --=
 when you're running with the Lumberjacks!

Critique: A seminal history that will be of immense and particular appeal t=
o readers with an interest in sports/athletics in general, and running/jogg=
ing in particular, "Running Up the Mountain: Northern Arizona Altitude, Lum=
berjack Attitude, and the Building of a Distance Dynasty" is exceptionally =
well written, organized and presented. While especially and unreservedly re=
commended for community and college/university library Sports/Athletics col=
lections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Running Up th=
e Mountain" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.=
99) as well.

Editorial Note #1: Matt Baxter was a top-15 individual for Northern Arizona=
 University's first three NCAA national cross country championships. He's n=
ow a professional for HOKA NAZ Elite, where he has been a New Zealand natio=
nal champion and a national record holder in the indoor 5000m and the road =
5K. This is his second book. He was author of Hurt Me If You Can: The Tales=
 of a High School Runner, a memoir of his formative years as an athlete in =
New Zealand. He currently resides in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Editorial Note #2; Ron Mann is also an NAU alumnus and letterwinner who wen=
t on to coach his alma mater's cross country and track and field squads for=
 22 years, where he mentored 107 All-Americans, four NCAA individual nation=
al champions, and 16 teams that finished in the top 10. He coached USA men'=
s national teams in international competition and held administrative posit=
ions with the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, inc=
luding the presidency. He coached 47 more All-Americans at the University o=
f Louisville before retiring from collegiate coaching in 2013. Mann continu=
ed to coach elite runners, including 2012 Boston Marathon champion Wesley K=
orir, and was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame in 2018.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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