RUNNERS OF THE NISH
A Season in the Sun, Rain, Hail and Hell

​By Alex Cyr
(Foreword by 3-Time Olympian Eric Gillis)
FriesenPress, 2018

​​In the late summer of 2016, the X-Men gather at St. Francis Xavier University. From talented but inexperienced seventeen-year-olds, to elite fourth and fifth- year medal holders, revered Coach Bernie Chisholm has assembled a team of cross country runners determined to become the first in St. FX history to win a national championship. But college is college, and there are also parties to survive, video games to triumph in, and running jokes that will cost more than one X-Man a chunk or two of an eyebrow. Over the next three months, focus intensifies and the X-Men punish their bodies in the pursuit of precious fitness gains, redeemable only on the Plains of Abraham on judgment day, the Canadian Nationals: November 12th. As challenges continue to mount, the runners of St. FX endure grueling practices, time trials, and cuts to determine which seven men will represent the team at nationals. Competition creates a power struggle between the runners – and best friends – that threatens to undermine the strength of the team. Meanwhile, other obstacles inherent to intense, college-level distance running continue to mount; injury, burnout, and the perhaps impossible balancing of athletics, social life, and academics. From the vivid perspective of someone who lived it in all its exhausting, exhilarating, and sometimes crushing ups and downs, Runners of the Nish explores how a group of disparate young men learn to use a common goal to become the most powerful versions of themselves on the cross-country course and beyond. And through it all, the question looms larger and larger, will any of it be enough for the St. FX Blue and White to find glory on the Plains of Abraham?

REVIEWS

"As only an insider can do, Cyr has written a classic sports book and a personal homage to a team and a beloved coach, the uniquely dedicated and highly respected Bernie Chisholm. It is well worth the run and the read!" - Danny Gillis, author of Where the Rivers Meet

​"A lively recount of the 2016 St. FX cross-country team. A story filled with university tales and the gritty, inspiring stories captured in their season... a wonderful memoir to add to the X-men legacy." - Geneviève Lalonde, 2016 Olympian and Canadian 3000m steeplechase record holder​
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​Fantastic book, completely highlighting a very special program and cross-country season. I cannot recommend it enough for runners and fans of collegiate sports. – Michael Rochus, Host of Canadian running podcast The Terminal Mile

"Cyr gives a first person account through the course of the season, providing readers with a strong sense of the team's dynamic. Runners of the Nish is unabashed Canadiana (...) a fun rip through an ephemeral moment in the lives of a group of young men." - Canadian Running Magazine

I was a part of varsity running for Ottawa University, and I really got hooked on the book, which portrayed the team cohesion and spirit that I had in the past. The short chapters covering diverse moments of a varsity athlete helps the reader place himself in the book with the charaters and live the same experience. The only upset is that there is no sequel yet. - Michael-Lucien Bergeron, World 10k Joggling Record Holder
"Cyr does an excellent job at this and created a narrative that can be loved and appreciated by anyone who reads it... a must-read, as there are no other books available with this kind of in depth review. " ​- Brendan Simone, University of Windsor Lancers​

Running is one of the simplest human endeavours. However, to be the best it takes hard-work (physically, mentally & emotionally), sacrifices, an ability to welcome pain and a love for racing. As a former varsity X-Country & track athlete and a marathon runner who has stayed hungry to keep racing and chasing records at 50, Runners of the Nish couldn’t have nailed the commitment any better of what it takes from these athletes to strive to be the best. I couldn’t put the book down needing to know the intense results of the finish. - Denise Robson, 2010 Boston Marathon 40+ champion

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PURCHASE

You can purchase your copy of Alex Cyr's Runners of the Nish: A Season in the Sun, Rain, Hail and Hell ​at most online book retailers.