Reader's Comments

Bravo Willis! 

      I read your book in less than a week and really enjoyed the journey. I loved the characters. I was on the trail and I felt their pain. I laughed, I cried.  Well done! I'm sharing our extra copy with friends. 

With warmest regards, Ayde, Millbrae, CA

100 Miles to Destiny: a Novel on Running by Willis McCarthy
      If you haven’t had an opportunity to pick up Will’s book, you might consider getting a copy before the break. It’s a good story and an interesting look into the heart, body, and soul of an endurance runner. I was fascinated by what it takes to even train for a race like this and still have a hard time imagining that someone could actually complete the 100 miles. Each runner was unique in his background, training, philosophy, and style and I found myself completely engrossed in each runner’s personal journey.
Susan, Librarian, San Mateo, CA

     I couldn't tell what was fiction and what was real! A unique perspective on distance running, Enjoyed the book immensely!
Keith, Pacifica, CA

     The compelling and diverse characters in 100 Miles to Destiny drive the story. As the pace of the race wanes with the challenge of each mile, the pace of the story quickens, driving the reader to the end. I cared about and pulled for each runner. At the end, one man crossed the finish line first, but I knew that all were winners.
Paul, Redwood City, CA

    I finished the book a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed it. It was a definite page turner. I would stay up till two in the morning sometimes just trying to see what would happen next. Your book also has inspired me to start running on my own again. Great book!
TJ, Santa Clara, CA

      Your book is a great read; I thoroughly enjoyed it.  At first I thought you might have been a little too ambitious with all the characters, but as the race progressed we got to know and identify with each.  The back-grounding and blending of history and the various cultures was interesting, but the race descriptions made your book a real page turner. Once again, thanks for the interesting journey.
John, Pattonville, MO

       I couldn't seem to put it down. I can almost feel the pain these fellows go through. Great book, you have a real gift for writing. Success in all your endeavors.
Claude, Winter Park, CO

       Mr. Will McCarthy, chemistry teacher and cross country coach at Junipero Serra High School has a great story to tell – a story of passion, a story of the human spirit. So he says in the opening of his preface in his self-published work of fiction, 100 Miles to Destiny, a Novel on Running. McCarthy writes, “In the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred eighty-four, three hundred seventy men and women assembled at the base of Squaw Valley near Lake Tahoe to participate in an inaugural 100 Mile Endurance Run World Championship. I was one of the participants. The 1984 race, the eighth edition of the Western States Trail Run, spawned the idea of this novel.” An avid runner for twenty-five years, Coach McCarthy has run races of half mile track runs to 100 mile endurance runs, and after concluding his running career in 2000 he took up writing. Taking creative writing classes at College of San Mateo, plus working part time on the novel for six years between his commitments of parenting, teaching and coaching, he completed the novel last summer. 
     The book’s setting is the Western States Trail, a trail Will is quite familiar with since he has run this particular race four times. The time is the 1984 Olympics hosted by the city of Los Angeles, and athletes have arrived at Squaw Valley, CA to compete in an inaugural event. The reader has the opportunity to experience the Western States Trail through an international cast of characters. McCarthy elaborates, “Character development was my most formidable task as I attempted to capture the essence of a nationality within an athlete running in an endurance run with a global audience. My intent was to take the reader not only to the trail, but also to the 1984 Olympics with all the details of an international competition. No question, the book represents the grandest undertaking of my life.”
     Mr. McCarthy tried to find a suitable publisher and/or literary agent for the past three years with little success. “The few offers I received were from publishing or literary agencies that had inflated images of themselves and poor reputations to match when I made further inquiries. Since I could not let this project die I made the difficult decision to self-publish. There are so many obstacles and costs to self-publishing a novel and I’m still learning as I proceed.”   
 Twenty-two years ago in a small cottage near Moncrivello, Italia, Will McCarthy sat at an antique wooden table and began writing notes about an Olympic 100 mile endurance run on the Western States Trail. Despite not pursuing his goal of writing the novel for fifteen years, thoughts and ideas continued to percolate until ultimately, he began his personal quest to bring the book to print. Now he has accomplished that and from early reports of readers, he has indeed written a story of passion and spirit. Will concludes, “I think we all have a story to tell – this one happens to be mine.” 
     For more information about the novel or to purchase a copy of the paperback, contact Mr. McCarthy via his website:  www.100milestodestiny.com
"Traditions," Junipero Serra High School publication, San Mateo, CA