Driftless Run

Running Against the Odds—A True Story of Grit, Rivalry, and Resilience in the Heart of Rural America.

It is 1982 and the farm crisis has gripped the rural economy of southwestern Wisconsin. It is a time without cell phones or the Internet, as small-town teenagers search for a place to belong. Socio-economic change is underway, straining the traditions of the past.

This is a true story about a group of cross country athletes from two of those communities, reaching for success while facing difficulties on and off the course. It is the story of two novice coaches, pioneering their programs in an old but obscure sport. Surrounded by the rugged beauty of Wisconsin’s Driftless Region, the programs collide on an emotional rollercoaster that rolls toward four decades of achievement.

Told by a member of one of those pioneering teams, this is an inspiring journey that illustrates the best lessons that interscholastic sports have to offer.

Raised on the banks of the Mississippi River and the oldest of three brothers, Jeff Rich absorbed high school athletics from the perspective of a coach’s son. That early experience created a strong connection with sports and the outdoors. However, at the age of sixteen, a traumatic football injury triggered a shift to a new sport and some valuable life lessons.

After high school, the author graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville with a degree in mechanical engineering. Before retiring in 2019, he spent twenty-nine years working in the manufacturing, healthcare, and clean energy sectors.

An avid outdoorsman, Jeff spends much of his time combing the hills and trout streams of the Upper Mississippi’s Driftless Region. He and his wife, parents of three adult daughters, reside in West Salem, Wisconsin.