Marathon Man

Any story about legendary running ambassador Bill Rodgers is worth the read. A U.S. Olympian and four-time winner of the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon, his impact on the sport of running is immeasurable on many levels – shining a light on athlete inequality, repeated hard-earned road-race excellence, expanding the sport to the non-elite, and consistent approachability and promotion. His tenacity as a competitor helped push the sport into “primetime” and beyond. Having interviewed him many times over the years for my books and articles, Marathon Man reads the way he speaks, with honesty and insight. In addition… show more.

Getting inside the head and into the personal life of one of the greatest American marathoners is a treat. Beneath the killer competitor and amazing talent is a fun-loving, big-hearted man. He likes to think of himself as a Peter Pan-type figure or as some pseudo-hippy chasing butterflies, but step onto the track or roads with him and he will burn and bury you just as he has a multitude of elite, sub-elite (e.g., me), and casual marathoners. He's older now, but has morphed into one of the great ambassadors of distance running and no less passionate.