Will it be third time lucky for Times man Rick Broadbent with his wonderful story of the magnificent runner Emil Zátopek?
WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016 On the Shortlist Endurance: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Emil Zátopek By Rick Broadbent (Wisden Sports Writing) £16.99 Review by Jon Culley Emil Z á topek in action in the 5,000 metres in London in 1948 Rick Broadbent comes to the table with a bit of form, having been shortlisted twice before without convincing the judges he was worthy of the prize. Having been unlucky with Ring of Fire in 2009 and That Near Death Thing in 2012, he switches from sport on two wheels to two legs, swapping motorcycle racing for distance running. Emil Zátopek's world records have all been overtaken now but his status as the world's greatest long-distance runner, possibly the greatest athlete across all distances, remains intact. Long before the cheats came along to rob athletics of its innocence and purity, Zátopek was causing crowds to look on with wide-eyed incredulity at what he was able to do. At the peak of his powers, b