continuing education

Recommended Reading

by Nicholas Romanov, Ph.D.

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monograph | technique & training

Track and Field; Omnibook

If you're a coach, teacher, or physical education professional working with runners, I have another fantastic book to recommend! It's by an American coach, the former head coach at the University of Pennsylvania, Kenneth Doherty. The book is called Modern Track and Field, and it was first published in 1953 by Prentice-Hall Inc, Eaglewood Cliffs, N.J.

I received this book in a Russian translation that was published in 1958 in Moscow. My former cross-country ski coach gave it to me in 1969 after being really impressed with my success in track and field (even though I didn't have any formal training in that sport!).

This book has been such an inspiration for me, especially when it comes to American history in track and field—nothing else quite compares. As a young track and field athlete, I devoured almost everything published in the Soviet Union about the sport. Later, when I became a teacher of the theory and practice of track and field at the Faculty of Physical Culture and Sports, as well as the head coach of my university’s track and field team, my passion only grew. Despite all the knowledge I accumulated, I’ve always held deep respect for this particular work. To this day, I find myself revisiting this book often! I even have a cherished English version from the 1955 edition that a thoughtful colleague gifted me around 2010, knowing how much I loved it.
A few years back, I also picked up Kenneth Doherty’s 4-th Edition of the “TRACK AND FIELD OMNIBOOK,” published by Tafnews in 1985. Without a doubt, I can say that this book is filled with valuable material that serves as an excellent guide for anyone eager to dive deep into teaching and training in track and field. It's truly a fantastic reference book!

As Russian writer Leo Tolstoi wisely said, “Know the past to move into the future.” (Познай прошлое, чтобы двигаться в будущее). Kenneth Doherty’s books truly stand the test of time and can be considered classic works. They are filled with valuable insights that remain relevant, especially for anyone new to the world of coaching in athletics. I’m confident about this! Even though my own understanding of performance and technique in track and field events, especially the methods of teaching and training, has been shaped based on a different conceptual framework, I still find his work incredibly important and valuable. I think this could lead to some really interesting discussions on our forum!
Discover the various editions of Track and Field by Kenneth Doherty available online at AbeBooks, our favorite book store, as well as on Amazon. Yet, we warmly invite you to explore and support your local businesses by visiting a used book store in your neighborhood. We would love for you to share your exciting finds with us on the forum!