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​Rich Elliott's work reflects his interests in the fields of sports, history, literature, and technology.

Elliott is the author of The Competitive Edge: Mental Preparation for Distance Running (1984, 1991, 2008), a book that explores the psychological aspects of training and racing. His background as a national-class athlete, English teacher, and distance coach gives him a unique perspective on his topic. Track and Field News magazine described the book as "a modern classic."

For many years Elliott worked in educational publishing. He edited and wrote content for middle school and high school literature anthologies and history textbooks, several of which became industry best-sellers. With the growth of ancillaries bundled with the textbooks, he became a multimedia producer, working on award-winning video programs, software, and online products.

In 2010, Elliott came out with a new book: Runners on Running: The Best Nonfiction of Distance Running, a collection of the greatest nonfiction pieces from the world of running. This book won the Cordner Nelson Book Award, given by the Track and Field Writers of America.

In 2018, Elliott wrote Duck and Cover: Eleven Short Stories, his fiction debut. The stories comprise a fictional memoir about growing up in the Sixties. Kirkus Reviews chose Duck and Cover as one of the Best Books of 2018, describing it as "a vivid evocation of postwar America that's both halcyon and haunted."

In 2021, he published What Mad Pursuit: Short Stories About Runners. an imaginative dive into the struggles and joys of the running life. Kirkus Reviews chose it as one of the Best Books of 2021, and the Chicago Writers Association selected it as a finalist in the 2021 Best Indie Fiction Book Awards.

​Elliott and his wife Aileen live in Valparaiso, Indiana.
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