Summary: Bill Rodgers, known by many as “Boston Billy” was one of the key figures in the distance running boom that started in the 1970s and continues strong still today. A complete unknown grad student before capturing attention and admiration following his 1975 Boston Marathon Victory, a race he went on to win a total of 4 times including 3 straight from 1978-80 and twice set the American Record on the course. In addition he captured the NYC Marathon 4 times and the famed Fukuoka Marathon in Japan holding the title of all 3 at the same time. He did all of this at a time when the reward was not money or sponsorship, but for the win itself. Of the 60 or so marathons Rodgers has ran, 28 were run under 2:15. In all he won 22 marathons in his career and countless wins against top talent in shorter races including the famed Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod of which he ran and won 3 times in the very beginning. He trained and raced with some of the best of the era and all time including Amby Burfoot, who was his college roommate, Frank Shorter, Alberto Salazar and many more that have gone on to become names we all know but at the time were just simply men who loved to run. He opened the first running specialty store in America dubbed the Bill Rodgers Running Center which operated in Boston for 35 years becoming the model for the running specialty stores we know today. His entire story is captured in a book released in 2013 that for me was impossible to put down, Marathon Man: My 26.2-Mile Journey from Unknown Grad Student to the Top of the Running World. In all, he has ran over 175,000 miles by his own estimates and perhaps relates the most to the everyday runner. In this episode Bill shares highlights and inspiration from his storied running journey including: Running relatively injury free for his entire career From imagining a Boston win after a night out to sitting at dinner with the President after doing so What the President of the United States asks of you at dinner Reshaping your destiny with running - a look at how powerful it really is How the marathon can humble anyone - even those at the top of the sport What Bill was thinking when he struggled in races What you should do if the marathon humbles you and a race doesn't go as planned Thinking about your running and racing as a quest When to be conservative and when to gamble a bit and go for it Insights into Bill's racing strategies and decision making process Are we too fixated on perfect training, diet and might stand to relax a little? His thoughts on training and racing the Boston Marathon How we are all students of the sport and always learning - regardless of ability His thoughts on where the sport is today from the running boom he helped set in motion Quick Tip Hear ideas on recovering from a race that doesn't go as planned. Links Mentioned in the Show Marathon Man: My 26.2-Mile Journey from Unknown Grad Student to the Top of the Running World - Get His Autographed Book Boston 1982: Duel in The Sun - Hear Dick Beardsley's Appearance and recount of this race on episode 19 Runner Academy Shirts - Support Youth Running with a Runner Academy Tech Shirt
