At present is April 20, 2025. That is the fiftieth anniversary of Invoice Rodgers’ first win on the Boston Marathon in April 1975. Invoice Rodgers was a 2:19 marathoner who had simply taken the World Cross Nation bronze medal. He requested Jeff Galloway, who wore Nike, about getting some racing sneakers. On the suggestion of Jeff Galloway, Invoice Rodgers was despatched a letter with a model new pair of Nike Bostons from Steve Prefontaine, a NIKE sports activities advertising government. Invoice Rodgers wore these Nike racing sneakers, ran a 2:09:55 AR within the marathon in April 1975, and Steve Prefontaine died one month later, in Could 1975.
1979 Rodgers was the very best highway racer on the earth, having received Boston in 1975 and 1978 and NYC in 1976, 1977, and 1978. That is that story.
At present, April 20, 2025, Invoice Rodgers spoke to seven hundred runners, most of whom weren’t born when he was racing in Boston within the Seventies. However practically all knew who he was, and lots of lined as much as get a photograph or an autograph on their new Nike sneakers.
Invoice Rodgers Victory on the 1979 Boston Marathon
The period of Invoice Rodgers in highway operating was distinctive. Rodgers was an easy-going killer. The man might run 140 miles per week in his sleep, as soon as profitable 38 races of all distances in a row, quietly juggling international journey and 4 world-class marathons in a 12 months. That mellowness, alongside together with his GBTC teammates, watched by maybe probably the most eccentric and joyous coach in distance operating (Invoice Squires), allowed Invoice Rodgers to focus his killer intuition into some brutally contested highway races.
Invoice Rodgers instructed this author a couple of years in the past that he felt poorly in all of his good Bostons till he hit the hills. Frank Shorter referred to as Invoice Rodgers ‘a freak of nature’ out of awe and respect for his means to coach and compete at such a excessive degree for a few years.
Jeff Benjamin’s function on the fortieth anniversary of Invoice Rodgers’ most interesting victory is a pleasure to learn. It takes us again to when social media traded TFN gossip after a observe exercise, shared the NY Marathon points by The Runner, popping out two months after the occasion, and Invoice Rodgers was “Invoice.”
Do I want we had been again at the moment? What I need to do is that races respect the necessity of the media to construct curiosity within the sport, by video, audio, and textual content content material. Invoice Rodgers was Invoice due to all of the tales written by Joe Condon, Tom Dederian, and Kenny Moore, giving us an inside view into the superb highway warrior that was Invoice Rodgers.
“I’m On The Hunt I’m After You!”
– The fortieth Anniversary of Invoice Rodgers’ Victory At The 1979 Boston Marathon
By Jeff Benjamin
Nervousness, nervousness, self-doubt, and concern are definitely among the many emotions of many runners of all talents in any race that they run. One athlete who carried these emotions of their journey with a big burden could have been Invoice Rodgers when he toed the road within the damp, 40-some-odd-degree April Day on the 1979 Boston Marathon.
However Rodgers, going for his third Boston victory, wasn’t alone with these emotions. Fellow opponents Chris Stewart, Gary Bjorkland, Olympian Don Kardong, Canada’s Jerome Drayton, New Zealander Kevin Ryan And Rodger’s Larger Boston Observe Membership Teammates Bob Hodge, Randy Thomas And Dick Mahoney no doubt needed to have possessed these emotions as nicely alongside the ten,000 Boston Marathoners on that day. But all had been little doubt pushed by their coaching.
Concerning coaching, Rodgers wrote an account for The Runner Journal on his preparations for the large race with a couple of days to go. This coaching routine was indicative and maybe unorthodox. Nonetheless, it was his recipe for fulfillment 12 months in and 12 months out as one of many world’s greatest distance runners:
“Wednesday, 5 days earlier than Boston, I do ten straightforward miles within the morning and later within the day 4X400 meters and 4X800 meters at a 67-second tempo with a 200-meter jog/relaxation between runs, then a 7-mile warmdown. I run 20 (miles!) on Thursday, ending my week at 121 miles. That leaves 14 (Miles!) for Friday, 7 for Saturday, and three or 4 for Sunday – the day earlier than.”
As for his preparations the day earlier than the large race, Rodgers hung out together with his brother Charlie, consuming macaroni and cheese with butter almond ice cream for dessert, per his legendary meals repute! Round 5:30 a.m. race morning, Rodgers awoke briefly to eat cookies, drink Pepsi, after which conked out once more!
But, if somebody had been to measure the quantity of the extremes on either side of these emotions, one might argue that Japan’s Toshihiko Seko was on the backside of the “noise degree”, whereas New Jersey’s Tom Fleming needed to be approach excessive!
Seko, who sported a 10K PR of 27:51, had defeated Rodgers on the Fukuoka Marathon months earlier, clocking a time of two:10:21, whereas Rodgers completed sixth. Rodgers must be involved about Seko, however Tom Fleming tried to steal the present early on.
The boisterous Fleming, who had completed 2nd twice in Boston, had determined to go all for broke within the ’79 race. “I simply figured to run as quick as I might for so long as I might, and see if they may catch me,” stated the New Jersey legend, who tragically handed away in 2017.
And that’s exactly what Fleming did, bolting out in entrance and dominating the race within the early miles, going by 5 miles in 23:40! Rodgers questioned how lengthy his pal might set that tempo and thought in regards to the 2:06 Marathon time Fleming had talked about all through the years.
However Rodgers felt sturdy at this stage and began harboring ideas of confidence. “I felt snug regardless of Tom going out arduous,” he stated not too long ago. Nevertheless, one in all Rodgers’ issues was with the quiet, low-key however harmful Seko. “Toshihiko was following me since he figured I knew the course, and it was his first Boston Marathon, and I had forgotten about him in our pack!”
On The Hunt
Then, Bjorklund plunged, finally surging away from the pack and even passing Fleming on the 15 1/2 mile mark.
As Rodgers and the pack lastly caught as much as Fleming on the 17 1/2 mile mark, a bit humor was injected into the drama, as written about in Tom Deredrian’s masterpiece e-book, Boston Marathon
“…Fleming turns to Rodgers and stated, “Hello Invoice, good to see you, however why did it’s a must to convey him alongside?” Rodgers requested, “Who?” Fleming stated, Behind You.”
To Rodger’s nice shock, it was Seko, quietly stalking him.
Because the duo handed Bjorkland (Who stated, “Go For two:08!”) simply earlier than Heartbreak Hill, it was then that Rodgers felt he needed to go. “Boston is a really completely different course from Fukuoka, and most Marathon programs are flatter,” stated Rodgers. “So figuring out the course and being extra rested for Boston than for Fukuoka in ’78 helped me enormously in ’79.”
Additionally, firing up Rodgers was a constructive psychological thought. “In February, I set the World Report at 25K (1:14:12), so I knew I used to be sharper and extra in tune with this race than at Fukuoka.”
“I used to be solely considering of racing the Boston hills and going for the win, so I ran arduous by the hills and will sense Toshihko slipping again,” stated Rodgers, pumped up by the hometown followers.
Because the race progressed, Seko fell again, and Rodgers poured it on. “The Boston followers gave me lots of assist.”
The hammer is down, Rodgers grinds up Seko, 1979, Boston, photographer unknown.
As Rodgers entered the final minute of the race, he took his winter hat off and started waving to the group, as he picked up the tempo much more to attempt to snatch Englishman Ron Hill’s greatest of two:09:28. Rodgers would break it by one second, as his tone of two:09:27 was a private greatest and the Boston Marathon document. “I used to be actually happy to set my PR that day with no tailwind like my earlier pr of two:09:55,” stated Rodgers, who quipped that he wanted a toilet with 10 miles to go within the race. As he ran in the direction of that end, Rodgers and the joyous crowd might hear the announcer proclaim,
Invoice Rodgers received the 1979 BAA Boston Marathon. ( To Order A “Relentless” Poster Commemorating Rodgers’ 1979 Boston Win (Autograph Obtainable On Request), Please Go To http://www.
“Girls and gents, the best runner in Massachusetts, the best runner in america, the best runner on the earth and the historical past of the world!” The group efficiency of Rodgers’ GBTC teammates was equally spectacular, as Rodgers, Hodge, Thomas, and Mahoney all completed within the high 10 that day, cementing them as not solely America however maybe the world’s greatest long-distance operating membership, which was coached by Invoice Squires!
(To observe the Boston marathon video, please go to the 1979 Boston Race Video, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XvM50uNQ4A, which is six minutes of wonderful historical past.)
Trying Again & Ahead
40 years later, one can level out that Rodgers’ 1979 Boston win was the top of his illustrious profession. One factor eluded Rodgers: An Olympic medal. In 1976, juggling a instructing job with coaching and operating with an injured foot, Rodgers completed out of the medals in Montreal. 1980 was his Olympic Yr, as Rodgers was nonetheless persistently coaching at a top quality. Nonetheless, the American Boycott of the Moscow Video games robbed Rodgers and different high American runners of ever attending to the Olympic medal podium. As soon as Rodgers knew there can be no Olympics for him, he motivated himself to win his 4th Boston Marathon in 1980. “I believe all Olympic Sport athletes are saddened by boycotts,” stated Rodgers not too long ago. “The heavy hand of the Authorities was clearly at work, and we had been within the Chilly Battle Period… I had hoped to symbolize the USA in Moscow.”
However Rodgers discovered he might nonetheless flip issues constructive. “I’ve simply returned from the Bix 7 in Iowa, which I used to be invited to run within the boycott 12 months,” stated Rodgers, who received the ’80 version and had been invited again yearly since. “I used to be lucky to have assist making lemonade from the lemons of the 80 Olympic Boycott by being invited to the Bix 7. I’m grateful to Race Director Ed Froehlich and the Cornbelt Operating Membership and Quad Metropolis Occasions for his or her assist!”
“The race offers you a cool patriotic feeling together with its Neighborhood, which is what I’ve all the time cherished about Street Racing in America!”
“I don’t have an Olympic Medal, however I’ve 40 Years of Street Races just like the Bix! “
