Slinger Sanchez: Running Gun by Bruce Glikin. 297 pages. $15.95 paperback. Amber Fields Publishing Co. (Box 35746, Houston, TX 77235-5746. 877-RUNGUNS.)

Slinger Sanchez: Running Gun is quite a title, and, to my surprise, quite a novel.

Jesse Sanchez is a half-miler, unknown from Houston, who trains under Kevin McClanahan. McClanahan is a crusty old curmudgeon who has alienated just about everyone in the running community - agents, sponsors, track officials - except for the athletes he trains. While Sanchez is the protagonist of the novel, McClanahan is a close runner- up.

From out of nowhere, Sanchez not only wins the U.S. Olympic Trials 800 meters, he sets a world record doing it. He is a great media story, but things soon unravel.

Events, some stretching credibility, unwind at a fast and furious pace. There's a love interest and murder attempt (one never completely resolved). There's Jesse's background of poverty and agents and the temptation of money.

The two most riveting turns of events involve a positive drug test and a career-threatening injury. We meet some slimy characters and others we'd love to add to our weekend running groups.

Sanchez's Olympic dream soon is finished, but is Jesse, too? He and McClanahan don't think so, but ... The pages almost turn themselves as we follow Sanchez on his road back.

Author Bruce Glikin, a runner himself, uses the novel to reveal much of his vast knowledge of the running world. He describes training methods (used by Sanchez under the watchful eye of McClanahan) and actual workouts, complete with sweat and hurting. Along the way, he takes pot shots at today's commonly-used low mileage, "easier" training. He explores the politics of national and international governing bodies, in none too flattering a light, and the European track circuit, which differs from anything the U.S. calls track and field. Particularly interesting is his expose of drug use by athletes and, in his eyes, the joke called drug testing.

My two favorite angles focused on the competition and camaraderie within the running and racing community. Not many novels as effectively capture the effort - physical, mental, emotional - required to be a world- record holder. Often, it's as if we are running the workouts, planning the strategies with Slinger himself. Throughout the book are the compelling relationships between Sanchez and McClanahan, and between Sanchez and other runners. Only athletes will identify with these unique relationships.

Yet, "Slinger" is not flawless. Because of the frequent obscene language, I would not recommend the book to young readers. Regrettably, most of the objectionable language is gratuitous. It's a pity - young readers would profit from the story of Slinger Sanchez. Also, I was often distracted by grammatical errors, namely frequent phrases and clauses masquerading as complete sentences. They necessitated re-reading to follow the plot.

Nonetheless, the book is a good one. I enjoyed it and, in fact, it will join "Long Road to Boston," "Once a Runner" and "The Olympian" among my favorite running novels. With my noted caveats, I recommend "Slinger" to adult reading runners (or running readers).

Ron Marinucci can be reached by e-mail at Rmarin6424@aol.com MR