by Jeff Benjamin
Bill Rodgers, photo by PhotoRun.net
In the golden age of American road running, there was Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar. Bill Rodgers won Boston and NYC four times each. He was the king of the roads in 1978-79, winning 38 races at all distances.
Jeff Benjamin speaks to this keen observer of the sport, and Bill Rodgers has a few things to say on the 2018 BAA Boston Marathon.
Who better to get a rundown of this year’s loaded Boston race from than Bill Rodgers?
YES – The 4-Time Boston (& NYC!) Champion!
YES – Set the American Record in his 1975 Boston Race in NIKE shoes sent to him by Steve Prefontaine!
YES- An expert fan on the marathon as well as other distance races!
BUT- Keep in mind that Rodgers lost a few Bostons too! In his Boston debut in 1973, Rodgers dropped out on Heartbreak Hill and DNFed again in 1977, thereby adding to the Marathon’s reputation as the most unpredictable race to figure out!!
Here is how “Boston Billy” sees the great and loaded race unfolding this upcoming Monday!
“I think it will be a more interesting than usual Boston Marathon for several reasons!
John Hancock made a specific effort this year to have most of the top American women at Boston to compete.
Perhaps this is the due to the “Shalane New York Marathon Effect?” I noticed there are only 3 or 4 altitude born women challengers!
Molly Huddle is a racer, but is she a racer in the Marathon? I think she can be and she likes to win, but so does Shalane. But was Shalene’s thirst for victory quenched at the NYC Marathon?
Shalane learned that she can race with the Kenyans and Ethiopians if she bides her time with them but the problem often is there’s so many ways to race!
Don’t forget Jordan Hasay too has gone way up, and then there’s Desi who was two seconds from Victory not long ago, which was one of the finest races I’ve ever seen at Boston!
Sometimes Runners think “I’ll keep improving”, but the path forward to the top can be awkward.
For those marathoners who are “scrappers” this year’s weather will suit them fine, but for the drafters and “time is everything folks” they might be in the wrong race Monday!
Hey, there’s always London a week later!!”
