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Only the flat desert is spread out ahead. A void. Unknown territory. He runs into it. Lengthening his stride and giving himself up to whatever lays ahead. He stops thinking about whether he can go any further. He stops thinking about what he left behind. He does not monitor where he is. He does not try to understand whether he has any oxygen or how far it will carry him. He just runs.

As he runs, he feels a trembling, like the first pilots who approached the sound barrier. Not knowing what lay beyond, whether they would shatter and fall from the sky. He feels the pressure and leans into it. And, like them, he breaks through. There is no resistance. There is no air or desert or wind or sky, just movement forward. Clean. Unencumbered and free.

Then blackness.

 He wakes face down in the sand. Palms bleeding. His chest aches, punched in the sternum. He rolls over and the white sun bores down. He touches his right cheekbone and his fingers come away wet. Sticky. Then the sun is blotted out, replaced by Brad’s grinning face, and the two dogs.

Russ Clayton is a young man who keeps losing the important people in his life. Each time someone disappears, he finds himself adrift. The Universe stacked against him. He only finds peace running alone on the roads of his small town in Kansas. Russ finally believes that everyone in his life is gone. Feeling abandoned, he gives himself up wholly to the running by setting an impossible goal. But, he needs help.

Long ago, Brad Coy was the fastest marathoner on the planet, but a man who also lost everything he valued to a cheating Russian runner named Yuri Grimlov. Finding a kinship, Coy and Russ team up and retreat to the desert, on a quest to shatter the brain’s protective hold on the body that prevents us from reaching our physical limits of speed and endurance. Meanwhile, Grimlov has been charged with restoring Russia’s tarnished reputation for doping its distance runners. He takes two twin boys from their family and subjects them to his special mixture of psychological manipulation, doping, and scientific training.

Inevitably, Coy and Grimlov face off again, Russ discovers whether he really ever was alone in the world, and the Twins confront the limits of their love for each other.

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE FRONTRUNNER

“Fawley delivers a novel that effectively develops serious themes of passion, privilege, and the importance of family and community. What stands out most, however, is the pacing of the energetic racing scenes, which are interspersed among quiet moments of loss experienced by characters on either side of of the finish line. . . .”

—Kirkus Reviews

“The Frontrunner is an intense look at the beauty and power of distance running and racing. What are we capable of? Brad Fawley explores this quintessential question we all wonder about.”

—Bill Rodgers, Olympian, and former American record holder in the marathon; four-time winner of Boston and New York City marathons

"Even if you’ve never laced up a pair of running shoes, you’ll fall in love with The Frontrunner—a modern day “Breaking Away." Fawley’s startling first novel immediately gets you behind his underdog hero, Russ Clayton. Alone, with everything stacked against him, he chases an impossible dream, only to find the elixir he seeks has been right before his eyes all along. Like the best stories, it is a celebration of human resilience, honor, sacrifice, and triumph over loss.”

–Hawk Ostby, writer of the Oscar-nominated screenplay for Children of Men, the Marvel movie Iron Man, Cowboys & Aliens, and the hit television series, The Expanse.

“A wonderful, touching, twisting novel about running and so much more. It captures beautifully  what it means to move quickly through space and what it means to truly train. I couldn’t put it  down.”

—Nicholas Thompson, CEO The Atlantic, American age-group record holder in the 50k

“The Frontrunner features a big cast of eccentric characters, and a hero who is chasing the impossible Olympic “quad”--the 1500 meters, the 5000 meters, the 10,000 meters, and the marathon. Improbable at times but heart-thumping all the while, the story never falters in its searing pace. Brad Fawley is as skilled at weaving a complex, compelling plot as he is at understanding the physical and psychological depths of a great runner’s training. The Frontrunner is impossible to put down, and intriguing to the last page.”

–Amby Burfoot, winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon, Author of Run Forever and other books

“Within the first 40 pages, I was hooked. Doug, explaining to Chuck and Russ what it takes to  race well, puts into words what many know/feel, but can’t verbalize. Brad nails it!” 

—Mike Dunlap, former professional with the Brooks running team,  two-time U.S. Olympic Team marathon trials qualifier,  

and co-host of the “Beards and Dun” Podcast

“Brad Fawley's first novel aims high. A well-crafted realistic story of overcoming loss through running morphs into the ultimate Olympic golden fantasy. Epic training, reclusive coach, cheating Russians, miraculous victories, sexy high jumper, even a fan-zone ghost, this is Once a Runner on steroids.”

 –Roger Robinson, award-winning author, Boston & New York masters record-breaker

“Distance running is not only about the course and the competition but also the battle between mind and heart. In The Frontrunner, Brad Fawley captures the pain of personal loss and the struggle to resurrect a dream, finding renewal and an unlikely ally in the New Mexico desert. An immersive and memorable debut novel that brings new energy to the underdog sports narrative.”

–Edmond Stevens, writer of The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh, Promised Land, and Skating to New York

“A book that rivals the cult classic Once a Runner, Fawley captures everything runners face–from the challenges of training and racing at all levels to life and love…Brad’s writing cannot be beaten.”

–Larry Coy, Six-Time All-American Distance Runner

“Most runners at some point begin to wonder how fast they have it in them to run, but not many ever find out. The cost of reaching our potential is simply too much to bear. But in Russ Clayton, Brad Fawley has written a character who shows that running can be the spiritual practice that allows us to transcend our own limitations. The Frontrunner is a hero's journey, but the quest isn't for greatness, it's for freedom. Through Fawley's astute observations of the human psyche, Russ's example will inspire readers to face their own obstacles on their paths toward finding out who they are.”

—Scott F. Parker, author The Joy of Running qua Running

"I was immediately immersed in The Frontrunner. It’s a wonderful and at times heart-wrenching coming of age story about human potential, and overcoming tragic life obstacles, but it’s also driven by a powerful narrative engine.  Brad Fawley nails this with multiple uses of symbolism, foreshadowing and strong character development. The Frontrunner belongs in the annals with the great novels of running culture. It is a story of tragedy, relationships, and heroic efforts to overcome great obstacles. Readers will come away entertained, and enlightened." 

— Christopher Kelsall, Athletics Illustrated Magazine