Crossing the Finish Line

K-Gr 5–What’s the most important part of running a race? The preparation? Winning? Having friends, family, and strangers cheering? This book is about Ranatunge Karunananda or Karu, a runner from Sri Lanka who competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. In a fictionalized take on a past run, Karu loved to race and at the time, was the fastest runner in the country. He was excited and nervous about being a part of the Olympic team but fell further and further behind. He considered his family far away in Sri Lanka, wishing him the best of luck. Other runners finished far ahead of him and he was happy for them in their moment of glory. The crowd jeered but then quieted before cheering for Karu and his indomitable spirit. This is a really different kind of book about a runners, which typically revolve around people overcoming obstacles and winning. As the author points out in the back matter, Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, believed that it was more important to take part than winning.