Beyond Fast: How a Renegade Coach and His Unlikely High School Team Revolutionized Distance Running

The true story of a high school cross country team that went from obscurity to becoming the fastest squad the country, and perhaps the world, has ever seen, called “inspiring and entertaining” (Jerry Schumacher) and “a deliciously rich tale” (Neal Bascomb).

When Sean Brosnan arrived at Newbury Park High School in 2016, their cross country team hadn’t so much as qualified for a California state championship in twenty-five years. Brosnan himself had never coached high schoolers, though 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 learning from some of the most successful coaches in the country.

From day one at Newbury Park, Brosnan made a promise: Give me your total commitment and I’ll give you a state championship in four years. He did them one better: Brosnan’s runners would take an unprecedented three consecutive national championships, smashing records, winning Division I scholarships, and representing their country in the Olympics.

With expert insights and a deep love for the sport, Sean Brosnan’s Beyond Fast offers a riveting chronicle of that journey. Tracing Newbury Park’s early successes, their heartbreaking missteps, and the winding road that would lead them to running glory, he tells a story of guts, sacrifice, and determination. By turns heartbreaking and exhilarating, it reminds you that the only limits that matter 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 High School distance squads into an award-winning national powerhouse. In addition to national championships, he led Newbury Park to boys state championships in 2018, 2019, and 2021 and a girls title in 2019. A native of Long Island, Brosnan broke into coaching as a volunteer at Queens University of Charlotte, where he helped coach athletes who won multiple NCAA individual titles. Brosnan lives in Big Bear, California, where he coaches a professional running team.

Chris Lear is the bestselling author of 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 a sports reporter at NBC News whose award-winning work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, GQ, and Runner’s World. Raised near Coos Bay, Oregon, the hometown of Steve Prefontaine, Greif competed on the track team at the University of Oregon.