"Recent media coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement and public concern about racial justice issues make Kastner's new book especially timely."—Choice
"Life, it's said, is a marathon. But Charles Kastner shows us in vivid, historical detail that the life of runner Eddie Gardner was unique—a race that serves as an engrossing example of what it means to be resilient."—Kevin Patrick Allen, Documentary Producer
"Kastner brilliantly delves into the phenomenon of transcontinental racing and the heroics of Eddie Gardner, an athlete on par with Jesse Owens and Joe Louis who combated Jim Crow laws while competing as a black person in a super-human challenge across America. I felt like I was right there beside him the whole way, a truly epic book!"—Dave Warady, Winner of the 1992 Runner’s World Trans America Footrace
"Race Across America captures the magnitude of challenges faced by Eddie Gardner as he competed in the greatest race on earth: desert heat, hours of mental and physical strain, endless mountains, intense rain, and racial barriers; and the winning spirit it took for him to reach the finish line."—Lorna Michael, 2018 Ultrarunner Hall of Fame
"Chuck Kastner masterfully brings to light the story of Eddie Gardner, the first great African American Ultramarathon runner of the 20th Century and in doing so, provides a powerful lesson in American and Civil Rights history."—Gary Corbitt, National Black Marathoners Association
"A fascinating look at the birth of transcontinental ultra-running, the courageous men who competed more than 90 years ago, and African American Eddie 'The Sheik' Gardner who ultimately endured the most."—Gary Theriault, ultra and adventure runner, ten-time Kona Ironman triathlon finisher
"This is a book worth reading!"—Peace Corps Worldwide
"Shining a bright light on his extraordinary athletic accomplishments and his heroism on the dusty roads of America in the 1920’s, Kastner in Race across America gives Gardner and other black bunioneers the attention they so richly deserve."—SirReadaLot.org
Description
2020 Peace Corps Writers Paul Cowan Award for the Best Book of Non-Fiction
On April 23, 1929, the second annual Transcontinental Foot Race across America, known as the Bunion Derby, was in its twenty-fifth day. Eddie “the Sheik” Gardner, an African American runner from Seattle, was leading the race across the Free Bridge over the Mississippi River. Along with the signature outfit that earned him his nickname—a white towel tied around his head, white shorts, and a white shirt—Gardner wore an American flag, a reminder to all who saw him run through the Jim Crow South that he was an American and the leader of the greatest footrace in the world.
Kastner traces Gardner’s remarkable journey from his birth in 1897 in Birmingham, Alabama, to his success in Seattle, Washington, as one of the top long-distance runners in the region, and finally to his participation in two transcontinental footraces where he risked his life, facing a barrage of harassment for having the audacity to compete with white runners. Kastner shows how Gardner’s participation became a way to protest the endemic racism he faced, heralding the future of nonviolent efforts that would be instrumental to the civil rights movement. Shining a bright light on his extraordinary athletic accomplishments and his heroism on the dusty roads of America in the 1920s, Kastner gives Gardner and other black bunioneers the attention they so richly deserve.
Table of Contents
1.“A Desperately Serious Affair”
2. Into the Unknown
3. To the Top of the World
4. Out of the Clouds
5. Homecoming
6. Mud, Snow, and Fear
7. Decision Time
8. Chasing the Rabbit
9. A Gathering of the Departed
10. Long Miles in the Old Northwest
11. The Last Push
12. The End of the Rainbow
13. One Last Shot at Glory
14. Leader of the Pack
15. In a League of Their Own
16. Wearing the Flag
17. Legacy
About the Author
Charles B. Kastner is a long-distance runner and the author of The 1929 Bunion Derby: Johnny Salo and the Great Footrace across America. To learn more about Chuck Kastner, visit CharlesKastner.com.
January 2020