"John Prescott Chaplin suggested the title for this book—Man of the Oval—very early in the writing process. When I asked why that title in particular, he explained that the oval shape of the track, combined with the 440-yard or 400-meter distance of a single lap, plus the demands of racing that one lap, seemed to characterize his career as an athlete, a coach, the chair of the International Competition Committee and chairman of the Men's Track & Field Committee for USA Track & Field (USATF), and finally, an international technical official with the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF, now called World Athletics).

"John Chaplin views his life in the sport not as a straight line but as an oval, encircling one lap of the quarter mile (440 yards or 400 meters) oval repeatedly. The one-lap race is long and hard, and it requires an unwavering commitment. The 400-meter athlete does not get to relax, coast, ease up, or slow down. After spending many hours with John Chaplin during the last twenty months, I'd agree that one hard lap of the oval is the perfect metaphor for John Chaplin's career in track & field—an all-out sprint, tenacious and unrelenting."