Runners, Brothers, Hellions

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Runners, Brothers, Hellions is a non-fiction sports novel written by American author Chris Catanach and self-published in 2007 through instantpublisher.com (ISBN 978-1-59872-985-6). The novel chronicles the journey of the 2005 Christopher Columbus High School cross country team in Miami, Florida as they train and prepare for the 2005 FHSAA Class 4A State Championship Meet. Published just days after his 19th birthday, Runners, Brothers, Hellions is Catanach's first novel.

                                                                                                            Runners, Brothers, Hellions cover

[edit] Description

Runners, Brothers, Hellions is fashioned similarly to Chris Lear's Running with the Buffaloes in the sense that the story exists as a series of chapters that resemble journal entries. Each entry marks a highlight in the summer training and season of the Columbus "Hellions". However, Runners, Brothers, Hellions differs because it is narrated from the first person point of view by the author, who is a senior and one of the team's top runners. Therefore, the story not only outlines the training and the ups and downs of the season, but also serves as a personal reflection into the psychology and philosophy of distance running as Catanach and his teammates try and bond together and overcome the physical obstacles and bumpy emotional terrain that come with the increased miles, pressure, and expectations.

[edit] Main Characters

• Chris Catanach – The narrator of the book and captain of the 2005 Columbus Hellions, Catanach is a scoring senior who becomes increasingly aware of the fact that distance running is as much a battle between the ears as it is a physical one.

• Andres Davila – After having established himself as the team’s top runner in 2004, Davila compliments his talent with hard work throughout his senior season as he paces the team in practice and leads them in races.

• Andres Pacheco – The school record-holder for the 5,000 meter distance. Pacheco is a senior who uses his strength to grind down opponents, although he often serves as the team clown as well.

• Christopher Gilbert – A very injury-prone but talented runner who enters his senior season hoping to stay healthy and at the front of the Hellion pack. Despite annoying injuries and minimal training throughout his high school career, Gilbert is a notoriously gutsy runner who always finds a way to get the job done.

• David Ocon – The lone junior on the Hellion top five, Ocon is a mileage workhorse with a tendency to underachieve in races. Like his teammates, Ocon meticulously builds a high-mileage base throughout the summer in order to ensure he performs as expected in races.

• Jorge Fleitas – The twenty-two year-old coach of the Hellion squad who has to take the reigns of the program once Coach Oses steps down. Despite his youth and inexperience, Fleitas is a Columbus alumnus and former runner who was a member of the school’s only state championship team in 1997 and tries to infuse the lessons he learned that year into the 2005 team.