Bill Rodgers, Marathon Legend, ignited the running boom.
Running is hard. The RUNEGADE Podcast helps.
Each episode, we set off to explore the human connection with running and endurance sport, through conversation, big stories, guest interviews and our own experiences - we're your hosts Mark Prociw and Todd Marentette.
Episode 47: Bill Rodgers, the world's greatest marathoner, who innocently started the American running boom, becomes a RUNEGADE - hit play and run with the legend
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Boston Billy, never set out to become the face of a revolution. A chain-smoking grad student and Vietnam-era conscientious objector, he stumbled into running as a lifeline, only to unknowingly ignite the 1970s running boom. Four Boston Marathon titles (1975, ’78, ’79, ’80), four straight NYC Marathon wins (1976–’79), a 2:09:27 American record, and over 60 race victories across 100,000 lifetime miles.
Bill pulls back the curtain on his transcendent memoir Marathon Man: My 26.2-Mile Journey from Unknown Grad Student to the Top of the Running World. Not a victory lap, but a raw excavation of how the marathon became his teacher, his therapy, and his tribe.
What emerges is pure gold for every runner: how to keep the marathon from breaking you, the art of racing with joy over grimace, and unforgettable stories from his 60+ marathons where the clock was never the point. Humble to his core, Bill preaches one truth above all, running isn’t about the podium; it’s about showing up, inviting everyone to the party, and letting the miles build something bigger than yourself. If you’ve ever laced up wondering why, this episode is your invitation to go deeper.
We thank Bill for becoming a RUNEGADE. His passion, his sheer joy of running, community and inclusion to the sport is undeniable.
More Bill Here:
In a world of runners, be a RUNEGADE
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