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Beyond Fast
How a Renegade Coach and His Unlikely High School Team Revolutionized Distance Running
Table of Contents
About The Book
The awe-inspiring true story of a high school cross country team that went from obscurity to becoming the fastest squad the country (and perhaps the world) has ever seen, as told by the coach who led them to greatness. For fans of Born to Run and Finding Ultra.
When Sean Brosnan arrived at Newbury Park High School in 2016, their cross country team hadn’t so much as qualified for a California state championship in twenty-five years. Brosnan himself had never coached high schoolers, though he was no stranger to the sport. A collegiate All-American, he had spent years trying to chase his ambitions of becoming a professional runner, along the way learning from some of the most successful coaches in the country.
From day one at Newbury Park, Brosnan made a promise: Give me your total commitment and I’ll give you a state championship in four years. He did them one better: Brosnan’s runners would take an unprecedented three consecutive national championships, smashing records, winning Division I scholarships, and representing their country in the Olympics.
With expert insights and a deep love for the sport, Sean Brosnan’s Beyond Fast offers a riveting chronicle of that journey. Tracing Newbury Park’s early successes, their heartbreaking missteps, and the winding road that would lead them to running glory, he tells a story of guts, sacrifice, and determination. By turns heartbreaking and exhilarating, it reminds you that the only limits that matter are the ones you set for yourself.
When Sean Brosnan arrived at Newbury Park High School in 2016, their cross country team hadn’t so much as qualified for a California state championship in twenty-five years. Brosnan himself had never coached high schoolers, though he was no stranger to the sport. A collegiate All-American, he had spent years trying to chase his ambitions of becoming a professional runner, along the way learning from some of the most successful coaches in the country.
From day one at Newbury Park, Brosnan made a promise: Give me your total commitment and I’ll give you a state championship in four years. He did them one better: Brosnan’s runners would take an unprecedented three consecutive national championships, smashing records, winning Division I scholarships, and representing their country in the Olympics.
With expert insights and a deep love for the sport, Sean Brosnan’s Beyond Fast offers a riveting chronicle of that journey. Tracing Newbury Park’s early successes, their heartbreaking missteps, and the winding road that would lead them to running glory, he tells a story of guts, sacrifice, and determination. By turns heartbreaking and exhilarating, it reminds you that the only limits that matter are the ones you set for yourself.
About The Authors
Photograph © Bowyer
Sean Brosnan is a two-time national high school coach of the year who built the Newbury Park High School distance squads into an award-winning national powerhouse. In addition to national championships, he led Newbury Park to boys state championships in 2018, 2019, and 2021 and a girls title in 2019. A native of Long Island, Brosnan broke into coaching as a volunteer at Queens University of Charlotte, where he helped coach athletes who won multiple NCAA individual titles. Brosnan lives with his wife in Southern California.
Chris Lear is the author of the cult-classic Running with the Buffaloes and Sub 4:00: Alan Webb and the Quest for the Fastest Mile. At Princeton University, Lear was a two-time cross-country captain and earned All-Ivy, All-East, and All-American honors on the track. In high school, Lear ran a 4:09 mile and was the New Jersey state champion in the 1,600 meters.
Andrew Greif is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, GQ, Runner’s World, NBC News, and other outlets. Raised near Coos Bay, Oregon, the hometown of Steve Prefontaine, Greif competed on the track team at the University of Oregon.
Product Details
- Publisher: Atria Books (September 2, 2025)
- Length: 288 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668204405
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Raves and Reviews
“A deliciously rich tale of one coach’s audacious vision and uncompromising methods to transform a middling cross-country team into a titan of the sport, turning ordinary teenagers into national champions and Olympians. You’ll sprint through to the finish. It’s a promise.”
—Neal Bascomb, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Mile
“Sean has a unique passion for the sport of running, and that shines through in this book. The story of his journey and his team’s historic success is both inspiring and entertaining. Any sports fan can find motivation in this behind-the-scenes look at the coach and team responsible for Newbury Park’s dominant performances.”
—Jerry Schumacher, head coach of the Bowerman Track Club and one of the most accomplished distance running coaches in the world
“Beyond Fast will be a huge tool to coaches and athletes to get an inside look at how the best high school program in history got to the heights they achieved.... The dedication and care Sean showed for his team, both in terms of physical training and mental coaching, had a massive impact. He shaped their minds to believe in the impossible and achieve things high school runners and teams have never approached. I highly recommend this book to coaches, athletes, and parents.”
—Sara Slattery, NCAA coach, two-time NCAA champion runner, and coauthor of How She Did It
“You might think that the story of the greatest high-school cross-country team ever would be about secret workouts and high-tech training gadgets. Instead, it’s about culture, belief, and the power of pushing your limits—a lesson that we can all learn from.”
—Alex Hutchinson, New York Times bestselling author of Endure and The Explorer's Gene
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Beyond Fast eBook 9781668204405
- Author Photo (jpg): Sean Brosnan Photograph © Bowyer(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
