Jim Fixx Jim Fixx James Fuller "Jim" Fixx (April 23, 1932 – July 20, 1984) was an American who wrote the 1977 best-selling book "The Complete Book of Running". He is credited with helping start America's fitness revolution, popularizing the sport of running and demonstrating the health benefits of regular jogging. He died of a heart attack while jogging at 52 years of age. His genetic predisposition for heart problems and other previous lifestyle factors may have caused his heart attack. Born in New York City, Fixx was a graduate of Trinity School in New York and Oberlin College in Ohio. His
Calvin Fixx he began a lifelong friendship with Robert Cantwell. He attended business school in Aberdeen briefly. Cantwell and Fixx dreamed of "escaping to New York." In 1927, Fixx hitchhiked cross-country to New York City. He took a part-time job in a Greenwich Village bookshop and wrote freelance book reviews. He took other jobs, such as secretary to author Lyle Saxon. At this time, he added a second "x" to his surname because, he said, "a verb cannot be a name." He began to act informally as Cantwell's agent and helped him publish his first major short story. In 1929, he encouraged