Bio

Robert (Bob) Book is a two-time AUAA (now AUS) cross-country champion and a two-time all-Canadian as a runner. Book was named the male athlete of the year at Dalhousie in the 1973-74 season. As a coach, Book took the cross country team to back-to-back AUAA titles in 1977 and 1978. 1978 was his most successful season coaching the Tigers, bringing the cross country team to a CIAU (now U SPORTS) bronze medal. In the 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons, Book coached the track & field team to two AUS titles.

Outside of Dal, Book was a silver medalist in the Eastern Canadian 10-mile road race with a time of 48:56. He broke a 35-year-old Nova Scotia record. He is also a Nova Scotia distance running champion. From 1971 to 1973, Book went undefeated in two of the three years.

Book then moved to the world of sport administration. In 1979, he was hired as the full-time executive director for the Nova Scotia Track and Field Association (now Athletics Nova Scotia). In 1980, Book established the first women-only road race in partnership with Bonnie Bell. The meet manager of three national cross country championships in Halifax, Book was also a team manager in the 1981 Canada Summer Games for track & field. In the 1985 Canada Summer Games, Book acted as a track referee. In 1991, Book was the assistant chef de mission for team Nova Scotia at the Canada Winter Games.

From 1988 to 1995, Book was the sports consultant for the province with the Sport and Recreation Commission and went on to be a graduate of the Canadian Olympic Academy in 1995.

An active volunteer in his community, he was the Atlantic Colleges Athletic Association chairperson from 1991 to 1997, a Sport Nova Scotia board member from 1997 to 1998 and a Dalhousie Alumni Association board member from 1999 to 2001. One of his key highlights was serving as the Chef de Mission for Team Nova Scotia at the 1993 Canada Summer Games and at the 1995 Canada Winter Games.