“In 1984, as a college freshman, I spent a fall weekend at a friend's house in suburban Chicago. His father worked for Beatrice Foods, a sponsor of the Chicago Marathon, and we watched that race from the finish line as a Welshman named Steve Jones set a new world marathon record. I was bewitched by the race and, especially, the clock.”

American journalist, sportswriter and novelist

Steve Rushin is an American journalist, sportswriter, and novelist. He was named the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association’s 2005 National Sportswriter of the Year, and he has been a four-time finalist for the National Magazine Award. His work spans journalism, sports writing, and fiction, which has made him a familiar byline in American sports media. He is best known for writing about sports and related subjects with the voice of a magazine writer who moves easily between reporting and observation.