Bill Rodgers, tired and slow, near 60 years old...

I ran the Cleveland Marathon sometime in the mid 1980s and with about 2 miles to go I heard someone yelling from the sidelwalk: "you're running a great race, keep it up!!" He yelled that repeatedly. I looked over and it was Bill Rodgers standing there by himself yelling encouragement to runners as they passed by. Thats like having Babe Ruth telling you that youre doing great. I finished 160th out of about 2,000 in 3:00 hrs., a good result for me but slow as a turtle for the likes of Rodgers. They dont make them like that anymore.

I suspect that he just had a bad day at this particular race but who cares? Age will take its toll. Why is that such a surprise? We all slow down, no one beats it. But class lives on and some would say improves with age. Bill has plenty of that.

BR is the Pied Piper of the running masses whether he runs 4:40 pace or 9 minute pace. That will never change.

The only thing sad is that you felt compelled to start this thread "ghost".

Why don't you start a thread about how you and your grandmother can now bench press more than an old football star who has had shoulder surgery 3 times?

BR has won more marathons than you've had sex.

Let the man shuffle along in peace.

Bill Rodgers is the man!

victoria, b.c. runner wrote:

Anyone know how Frank Shorter is these days?

I know he was into duathlons for awhile.

I'm still trying to win that Olympic marathon in Montreal. It was really won by a guy named Waldemar Cierpenski but that doesn't matter to me because I am Frank Snorter. Maybe some day people will appreciate that I really won that marathon, even though I only got second place in it. I am devoting my life to this.

If there is ever proof Cierpenski used something illegal, also Don Kardong would get bronze.

I heard---Two summers ago he broke his leg while on a training run and MD\'S noted \"brittleness\" in his leg bones when they went to pin it during setting.--- Second handed info at least.

When speaking to mutual friends I suggested the brittlness angle and was not strongly rebuked.One friend indicated it was out of character for him not to have shared a more detailed account of his injury. In the past BR had always been transparent about his injuries with this friend. Does any of this mean anything? I hope not but I add it to the pile with my best wishes to \"The King Of The Roads\".

I have a I met BR story,let us hope many more will get a chance to have a I met Billy Rodgers story.

Was this Cierpenski or B. Rodgers you are talking about? If it's Bill could this account for his performance drop?

Yup I once met Bill in 1981 in his old store too. Evenhad the chance to join him on a run...but ...didn't have my running gear on :) Ahhahaha.

"rick," I disagree. It appears "ghost" was quoting someone else, a writer for the local paper...the fact that "ghost" thought it was notwworthy enough to transcribe says a lot about "ghots" -- likie he was as shocked to see it as we were. I'll give benefit of the doubt.

More importantly, we now have had the chance to read page after page of items that serve as solid evidence that Bill Rodgers is the most influential American distance runner ever.

I agree with all the accolades, esp. the poster who said something about how slowing down with age is inevitable but losing one's class is optional.

My fondest memory: being blown away when I read that he put mayonaise on his pizza. Guess it pales to the other stories, but I thought it was pretty cool.

[quote]Joseph McVeigh wrote ><

More importantly, we now have had the chance to read page after page of items that serve as solid evidence that Bill Rodgers is the most influential American distance runner ever.

This weekend at the Jessie and John Kelley race in New London Ct. I had a chance to hang with a group of people that know something about road racing, Nina Kuscsik, Amby Burfoot,Tom Fleming,Patti Catalano-Dillon and Dan Dillon among them and I know they would agree with your conclusion.

Many messages were left on BR's home and cell phones telling him he was missed at the table. Fleming said that the real reason he went to run up at the North Pole this weekend was to get Santa's autograph.I'm sure Santa asked for BR's autograph first.

http://ambyburfoot.blogspot.com/

"No one who works a forty hour week will ever beat me." - Bill Rodgers

Hi Snatch,

I,ve read all the wild thread on Lets run,and i just want to clear the air a bit about my recent "slow" running.

I,m healthy and have no problems with injury and never had a pin put in my rt tibia when it broke and don,t have osteoporosis,etc.In fact tomorrow is my 3yr Anniversary that i broke my leg. I'm responding to your comment about drugs in sports today and your words in regards tomy hauling ass w/out drugs.Anyone who knows me knows that thats the truth-nodrugs!

The reason i,ve been running a bit poorly in the last year or 2 is I ahve a short left leg,and after 40 years of not stretching my hip i started to tilt to the left while running;now I'm running forward a bit better.See you on the roads!

Hi Skylon,Always good to read your posts.You understand it.BR

Bill, I was delighted to see you speak as part of a panel discussion before the Ottawa marathon a while back (the wife and I were there for the 10k but DNS'd - long story, the military recalled her on short notice, but I digress...). I hung onto every word from you and Frank. You looked pretty fit to me. Glad to hear you're still out there running, and good luck getting through this hip thing.

- A Canadian fan

sub 30min 10k runner, You aimed and I salute you for that.Thanks for the kind words.I hope you'll join mer back on the roads one day

As for Frank Shorter,we race each other half a dozen times each year.i think hes the greatest Marathoner of all time.Never took drugs and took Olympic Gold twice

br

Bill - you rock! You still inspire me to get out the door and run more than I ever have before. Your book Marathoning is the best running book out there. There are no close seconds.

Here is my favorite part, which I remind myself almost every day:

"Train don't strain" was our motto. Its an overworded cliche', but I can assure you the advice is sound. The effect is still there. Being persistent and running at a moderately hard pace will bring bigger rewards ultimately than attempting to find success through short, violent workouts.

Good stuff!

It's an honor to have you here Bill. Best of luck and health to you.........from another " slow old guy"!

br wrote:

Hi Snatch,

I,ve read all the wild thread on Lets run,and i just want to clear the air a bit about my recent "slow" running.

I,m healthy and have no problems with injury and never had a pin put in my rt tibia when it broke and don,t have osteoporosis,etc.In fact tomorrow is my 3yr Anniversary that i broke my leg. I'm responding to your comment about drugs in sports today and your words in regards tomy hauling ass w/out drugs.Anyone who knows me knows that thats the truth-nodrugs!

The reason i,ve been running a bit poorly in the last year or 2 is I ahve a short left leg,and after 40 years of not stretching my hip i started to tilt to the left while running;now I'm running forward a bit better.See you on the roads!

It's amazing (& disheartening too) that some relatively minor biomechanical flaw can in later years cause havoc with one's running...been dealing with a hip/piriformis problem for over a few years now, lately has really put a dent in my running.

Glad to hear you are on the mend with your running ailment, Bill.