Higdon is the author of 34 books, including the best-selling Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide . His children's book, The Horse That Played Center Field , was made into an animated feature by ABC-TV. He ran eight times in the Olympic Trials and won four world masters championships. One of the founders of the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), he also was a finalist in NASA's Journalist-in-Space program to ride the space shuttle. He also serves as a training consultant for many races and provides interactive training programs and online guidance. In 2003, that American Society of Journalist and Author's awarded Higdon with its Career Achievement Award, the highest honor given to writer members.