Author:Bill Jones
The mystery man threw off his disguise and started to run. Furious stewards gave chase. The crowd roared.
A legend was born. Soon the world would know him as 'the ghost runner'. John Tarrant. The extraordinary man whom nobody could stop. As a hapless teenage boxer in the 1950s, he'd been paid £17 expenses. When he wanted to run, he was banned for life. His amateur status had been compromised. Forever. Now he was fighting back, gatecrashing races all over Britain. No number on his shirt. No friends in high places. Soon he would be a record-breaker, one of the greatest long-distance runners the world has ever seen.
This is his true story: The Ghost Runner.
A terrific story - a comic strip hero made flesh, with all the human complications that entails
—— Daily MailTarrant's poignant story is wonderfully refreshing and beautifully told
—— The SunA fantastic story of the underdog
—— MetroMakes fascinating reading
—— Manchester Evening NewsBill Jones used to make documentaries, and he retains that discipline's eye for telling details and evocative shots
—— The TimesAn astounding story
—— The IndependentA remarkable story
—— SportA grimly compelling account
—— The ObserverJones has unearthed and told quite brilliantly the tragic story of a man condemned not only be authority but also by his own stubbornness
—— Sunday TimesMoving
—— Sunday ExpressMade me chuckle
—— Mark CavendishHilarious behind-the-scenes anecdotes
—— Glasgow HeraldAn irreverent and funny take on cycling’s biggest race from a man who has seen it up close every year since 2003
—— Lesley McDowell , Glasgow HeraldI found his behind-the-scenes look at the famous race both highly amusing and telling in equal measure
—— Johann Lamont , Scotland on SundayCycling at its best is fiercely cosmopolitan and internationalist, Boulting provides the kind of commentary the sport deserves, and will need if it is to fulfil its undoubted potential to reach out and grow
—— Mark Perryman , The Huffington Post