Mud Run

Liz L’Heureux is a public service librarian in the Science and
Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

When Matt’s family moves to a new town, he starts running with his
school team—partly because his family is ignoring him, and partly
because he was too late to register for hockey, but mainly because he
wants to beat the class bully, Ryan. Thanks to some solid training from
the team’s knowledgeable coach, Matt rapidly improves and qualifies
for the district championships ahead of Ryan. Trouble at school nearly
derails his chance to compete, but the running team intercedes with the
school principal on Matt’s behalf. At the championships and with his
family watching, Matt wins his age-group race, but more importantly, the
team wins the overall championship.

The novel’s strengths are its focus on teamwork and the personal
growth that multiple characters exhibit during the story. In an
individual sport like running, teamwork is often ignored, but the team
learns that the runner who came in 20th helped win the championship as
much as the runners who came in first. The story also portrays running
as a positive and enjoyable activity and may therefore inspire readers
to give it a try.

On the negative side, it is difficult to believe that after just six
months of training, Matt could outrun other experienced runners. There
are also some problems with the dialogue, which can lack authenticity.
Lines such as “We’re teammates and I hope we can be friends” do
not usually come from Grade 8 students’ mouths. Recommended with
reservations.