BEYOND FAST

This is the awe-inspiring true story of a cross country team that went from an also-ran high school to become the fastest squad the country (and possibly the world) has ever seen, by the coach who shepherded them to greatness.

In 2016, when Sean Brosnan contacted multiple high schools asking whether he could coach their distance runners, only one responded: Newbury Park High School, a team that hadn't so much as qualified for a California state championship in 25 years. Brosnan had never coached high schoolers before, but 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, he observed and learned from some of the most successful running coaches in the United States, all trying to unlock the secrets of speed. From day one at Newbury Park, Brosnan made a promise: Give me your total commitment and Newbury Park is going to win a state championship in four years. He did them one better: Brosnan's runners would take an unprecedented three consecutive national championships. In a matter of years, they went from non-contenders to perhaps the fastest high school team of all time. Newbury Park's runners have gone on to smash national records, win Division I scholarships, and represent their country in the Olympics. In REDEFINING FAST, Brosnan offers a riveting chronicle of that transformation. He charts Newbury Park's early successes, their heartbreaking missteps, and the tortuous road that would lead them to running glory. A story of guts and determination, REDEFINING FAST is a testament to the willpower of Brosnan's runners, and of the sacrifices they made in pursuit of excellence. By turns heartbreaking and exhilarating, it's a reminder that the only limits are the ones you set for yourself. Sean Brosnan is a two-time national high school coach of the year who built the Newbury Park distance squads into a national powerhouse. Under Brosnan, Newbury Park won the Nike Cross Nationals boys championship in 2019, the RunningLane national championship in 2021, California boys state championships in 2018, 2019 and 2021 and a girls title in 2019. A native of New York, Brosnan broke into coaching as a volunteer at Queens University of Charlotte from 2008-10, where he helped coach athletes who won multiple NCAA individual titles. 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, Ore., the hometown of Steve Prefontaine, Greif competed on the track team at the University of Oregon.