William Henry Rodgers (born December 23, 1947) is an American runner, Olympian, and former record holder in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

. Rodgers is best known for his four victories in both the

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ins ...

, including three straight from 1978 to 1980, and 4 straight wins in the

New York City Marathon The New York City Marathon, currently branded as the TCS New York City Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 fini ...

, between 1976 and 1979.

Biography

Early life

Born in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

, Rodgers moved to

Newington, Connecticut Newington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. Located south of downtown Hartford, Newington is an older, mainly residential suburb located in Greater Hartford. As of 2023, t ...

, with his family when he was around five. He attended Newington High School, where he played hockey and baseball, along with his older brother Charlie. When Newington High School added cross country as a sport in the fall of 1963, sophomore Bill Rodgers decided to join. Running track and cross country under coach Frank O'Rourke, Rodgers ran the mile in 4:28:8, won the 1965 Connecticut state cross country title and finished seventh in the New England Cross Country Championships. He first ran a road race at the Manchester Thanksgiving Day 4.78 mile race in 1965. Despite his amazing success, he never won this famous race.

Running career

In the fall of 1966, Rodgers enrolled at

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...

where he ran cross country and track, graduating with a B.A. in sociology in 1970. One of his teammates and college roommate, Amby Burfoot, won the 1968

while still a student at Wesleyan and went on to edit ''

Runner's World ''Runner's World'' is a global magazine and website for runners of all abilities. It has additionally developed experiential formats, including a digital membership program, called Runner's World+. It is published by Hearst in Easton, Pennsylva ...

'' magazine. Another teammate and friend was future Olympian Jeff Galloway, who is a noted author on running. After graduating in 1970, Rodgers enrolled to study and eventually receive his MS in special education from

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...

. After stepping away from competitive running for a time, in 1973, track coach Bill Squires first formed the Greater Boston Track Club at Boston College to train small group of local elite runners, with Rodgers becoming one of them. In April 1973, Rodgers entered his first

, dropping out at mile 20. After the race, Rodgers quit running for three months, only to return to training. Rodgers then won the Bay State Marathon in 2:28 in October 1973. In April 1974, Rodgers returned to run the Boston Marathon, finishing 14th. On October 29, 1974, Rodgers ran his first

, finishing fifth. One month after New York, Rodgers won the Philadelphia Marathon in 2:21. In 1975, Rodgers then burst into national prominence when he won the 1975 Boston Marathon in 2:09:55, setting a new American record. Rodgers won both the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon four times each between 1975 and 1980, twice breaking the American record at Boston with a time of 2:09:55 in 1975 and 2:09:27 in 1979. In 1977, he won the

Fukuoka Marathon The is an IAAF Gold Label international men's marathon race held in Fukuoka, Japan. It was previously known as the Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championship between 1947 and 2021, when it was announced the race would be discontinued on i ...

, making him the only runner ever to hold the championship of all three major marathons at the same time. He made the 1976 U.S. Olympic team and raced the marathon at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, finishing 40th in 2:25:14. He did not participate in the Olympics in 1980 due to the U.S. boycott over the invasion of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

by the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. In 1975, Rodgers won the bronze medal at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, equaling Tracy Smith's 1966 bronze in the International Cross Country Championships as the highest an American had ever finished in international cross country competition. Rodgers' most remarkable year on the road racing circuit came in 1978 when he won 27 of the 30 races he entered, including the Pepsi 10 km nationals (with a new world road 10 km best time of 28:36.3), the Falmouth Road Race, and the Boston and New York City marathons. Rodgers is also the former world record holder for 25 kilometers as he broke

Pekka Päivärinta Pekka Johannes Päivärinta (born 4 May 1949 in Aura) is a Finnish former long-distance runner. He won men's senior race in the first World Championships of cross-country running in 1973. He competed in 1972 Olympics at 3000-meter steeplecha ...

's world record with a time of 1:14.11.8 on a track at West Valley College in

Saratoga, California Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Located in Silicon Valley, in the southern Bay Area, it had a population of 31,051 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Saratoga is known for its wineries, restaurant ...

, in 1979. '' Track & Field News'' ranked Rodgers number one in the world in the marathon in 1975, 1977 and 1979. Of the 59 marathons Rodgers ran, 28 were run under 2:15. In all, he won 22 marathons in his career. He came to be referred to by sportswriters and others as "Boston Billy". Rodgers was inducted to the

National Track and Field Hall of Fame National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

on December 3, 1999, in ceremonies in Los Angeles. In 1998, Rodgers was inducted in the first round to the

National Distance Running Hall of Fame The National Distance Running Hall of Fame was a hall of fame in Utica, New York dedicated to the sport of Distance running#Running as a sport, distance running. It was established on July 11, 1998. In 1999, the Hall of Fame moved into a building ...

Utica, New York Utica () is the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The tenth-most populous city in New York, its population was 65,283 in the 2020 census. It is located on the Mohawk River in the Mohawk Valley at the foot of the Adiro ...

. Rodgers has run the Bix 7 road race in

Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...

, every year since 1980, earning the local nickname "Bix Billy". A bronze statue of Rodgers and Joan Benoit Samuelson was erected near the Bix finish line in 2007. On April 20, 2015,

Patriots' Day Patriots' Day (Patriot's Day in Maine) is an annual event, formalized as a legal holiday or a special observance day in seven U.S. states, commemorating the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Menotomy, the inaugural battles of the America ...

, Rodgers was honored by the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

as he threw out the

ceremonial first pitch The ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding ritual of baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from their seat in the grandstand to ...

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a ballpark located in Boston, Massachusetts, less than one mile from Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home field of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Boston Red Sox. While the stadium was built in 1912, it was substantia ...

. ''Bill Rodgers Running Center'' in Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston was owned and operated by Bill and his brother Charlie. The family-run business operated from 1977 to 2013. He lives in the small town of

Boxborough, Massachusetts Boxborough is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,506 at the 2020 census. The town name is often simplified to "Boxboro" on highway signs and official documents. Geography According to the United Sta ...

, and still participates in running-themed events. Rodgers was named as a grand marshal for the 2025 Boston Marathon, alongside long-time friend and fellow Boston Marathon champion, Bob Hall, a wheelchair athlete.

Marathons

# 1973 Boston Marathon (Did not Finish)(DNF) # 1973 Bay State Marathon (2:28:12) 1st Course Record (CR) # 1974 Boston (2:19:34) 14th # 1974 New York City Marathon (NYC) (2:36:00) 5th # 1974 Philadelphia Marathon (2:21:57) 1st CR # 1975 Boston (2:09:55) 1st American Record (AR) # 1975 Enschede Marathon, Netherlands (DNF) # 1975 Fukuoka Marathon (2:11:26) 3rd # 1976 Olympic Trials (2:11:58) 2nd # 1976 Montreal Olympics (2:25:14) 40th # 1976 NYC (2:10:10) 1st CR # 1976 Sado Island, Japan (2:08:23) 1st CR (200 meters short) # 1976 Maryland (2:14:12) 1st CR # 1977 Kyoto, Japan (2:14:25) 1st # 1977 Boston (DNF) # 1977

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

, Netherlands (2:12:47) 1st CR # 1977 Waynesboro (2:25:12) 1st # 1977 NYC (2:11:28) 1st # 1977 Fukuoka (2:10:55) 1st # 1978 Boston (2:10:13) 1st # 1978 NYC (2:12:12) 1st # 1978 Fukuoka (2:12:53) 6th # 1979 Boston (2:09:27) 1st AR # 1979 Montreal (2:22:12) 15th # 1979 NYC (2:11:42) 1st # 1980 Boston (2:12:11) 1st # 1980 Toronto (2:14:47) 1st # 1980 NYC (2:13:20) 5th # 1981 Houston-Tennaco (2:12:10) 1st CR # 1981 Boston (2:10:34) 3rd # 1981 Atlantica-Boavista, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2:14:13) 1st CR # 1981

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden (2:13:28) 1st # 1981 Bank One, Columbus, OH (2:17:34) 7th # 1982 Houston (2:14:51) 5th # 1982 Tokyo (2:24) 301st # 1982 Boston (2:12:38) 4th # 1982 Atlantica-Boavista, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (DNF) # 1982

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia (2:11:08) 1st # 1983

Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since 1935 Orange Bowl, January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in ...

, FL (2:15:08) 1st # 1983 Boston (2:11:58) 10th # 1983 Beijing, China (DNF) # 1983

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

(2:21:40) 30th # 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials (2:13:31) 8th # 1985 New Jersey Waterfront (2:14:46) 2nd # 1985 NYC (2:15:33) 7th # 1986

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

(2:13:35) 4th # 1986

(2:15:31) 11th # 1987 Phoenix (DNF) # 1987

(2:18:18) 15th # 1987 NYC (2:25:01) 54th # 1988 Phoenix (DNF) # 1988 Los Angeles (2:20:27) 2nd masters # 1988 Boston (2:18:17) 2nd masters # 1988 NYC (DNF) # 1989 Los Angeles (2:22:24) # 1990 Boston (2:20:46) 5th masters # 1992 Vietnam International 19th # 1996 Boston (2:53:23) # 1999 Boston (DNF) # 2009 Boston (4:06:49)

Awards and distinctions

* 1973 AAU All-American Long Distance Team (20K) * 1975 National AAU- DI Benadato Award – Best Athletic Performance * 1975 Nominated Sullivan Award (placed second) * 1975 Ranked #1 in the World in the Marathon by '' Track & Field News'' * 1976 Ranked #6 in the World in the Marathon by ''Track & Field News'' * 1976 Member U.S. Olympic Team – Montreal, Canada * 1976 AAU All-American Track & Field Team (10K) * 1977 Ranked #1 in the World in the Marathon by ''Track & Field News'' * 1978 Ranked #2 in the World in the Marathon by ''Track & Field News'' * 1979 Ranked #1 in the World in the Marathon by ''Track & Field News'' * 1981 Ranked #7 in the World in the Marathon by ''Track & Field News'' * 1989 New York Road Runners Club Abebe Bikila Award * 1989 Tiffany's Man of Achievement Award * 1990 RRCA Masters of the Year Award * 1992 RRCA Masters of the Year Award * 1994 CT Sports Writers Alliance Gold Key Award * 1999 Inducted into Long Distance Running Hall of Fame * 2000 Inducted into

USA Track and Field USA Track & Field (USATF) is a United States national Sport governing body, governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running, and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was kn ...

Hall of Fame * 2025 Inducted into the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Hall of Fame Bill Rodgers Mount Dora 5K 2019

Personal track records

* 1 mile – 4:18.8 * 2 miles – 8:48 (indoor practice); 8:53.6 (1975) * 3 miles – 13:25.4 (1976) * 5 kilometers – 13:42.00 (1978) * 10 kilometers – 28:04.4 (1976) * 15 kilometers – 43:39.8 (1977 – American Record) * 10 miles – 46:35 * 20 kilometers – 58:15 (1977 – American Record) * 1 hour – 12 mi 1351 yd (20.556 km) (1977 – American Record) * 25 kilometers – 1:14:12 (1979 – World and American Record) * 30 kilometers – 1:31:50 (1979 – American Record)

Personal road records

* 10 kilometers: 28:16 (1983) * 15 kilometers: 43:25 (1981) * 20 kilometers: 58:43 (1982) * 25 kilometers: 1:17:23 * 30 kilometers: 1:29:04 (1976 – Unofficial World Road Record) * Marathon (42.195 kilometers): 2:09:27 (1979 – former American record)

Major road race wins

* Boston Marathon: 4 wins * New York City Marathon: 4 wins * Fukuoka Marathon: 1 win * Amsterdam Marathon: 1 win *

Houston Marathon The Houston Marathon is an annual marathon usually held every January in Houston, Texas, United States, since 1972. With thousands of runners and spectators, it is the largest single day sporting event in the city. It is run concurrently wit ...

: 1 win *

Melbourne Marathon The Melbourne Marathon has been held annually since 1978. The 42.195 km run over the traditional marathon distance is the main race within the annual Melbourne Marathon Festival. The race celebrated its 30th birthday in 2007 with a new cour ...

: 1 win * Falmouth Road Race: 3 wins * Virginia 10-Miler: 5 wins * Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run: 4 wins *

Boilermaker Road Race The Boilermaker Road Race is a USATF-certified 15K run, foot race and wheelchair racing, wheelchair race held annually in Utica, New York, Utica, New York (state), New York, United States. Although local recreational runners are the majority of ...

15 km: 1 win * Beverly Hills 10 km: 4 wins * Azalea Trail 10 km: 4 wins * Gurnet Classic Beach Run, Duxbury MA * Bloomsday 12 km: 1 win *

Gasparilla Distance Classic The Gasparilla Distance Classic is a road race which is held in late February or early March on Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa, Florida. Over 30,000 competitors participate each year. It is named after the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which takes plac ...

15 km: 1 win (first yr.) * Jacksonville

Gate River Run The Gate River Run (GRR), formerly known as the Jacksonville River Run, is an annual road running event in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, that attracts both competitive and recreational runners. It has functioned as the US National Champi ...

15 km: 1 win, 1978 * Bix 7: 2 wins (incl. first yr.) * Big Boy 20 km: 3 wins * Toronto Marathon,1 win,1980

References

Notes

Books

* Rodgers, Bill, ''Marathoning'' (with Joe Concannon) (1980) Simon & Schuster, * Rodgers, Bill, ''Masters Running and Racing'' (with

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

and Priscilla Welch) (1995) Rodale Books, * Rodgers, Bill, ''Bill Rodgers' Lifetime Running Plan: Definitive Programs for Runners of all Ages and Levels'' (1996) Collins, * Rodgers, Bill & Douglas, Scott, ''The Complete Idiot's Guide to Running, 2nd edition'' (2003) Alpha, * Derderian, Tom, Boston Marathon: The First Century of the World's Premiere Running Event, 1996, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, * Rodgers, Bill & Shepatin, Matthew, ''Marathon Man: My 26.2-Mile Journey from Unknown Grad Student to the Top of the Running World'' (2013)

Audio interviews

Bill Rodgers: "Don't Boycott Beijing" Podcast Interview

External links

Bill Rodgers Running Center

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rodgers, Bill 1947 births Living people People from Middlesex County, Massachusetts Sportspeople from Middlesex County, Massachusetts Sportspeople from Hartford, Connecticut Track and field athletes from Connecticut American male marathon runners American male cross country runners Olympic male marathon runners Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics New York City Marathon male winners Boston Marathon male winners American masters athletes Wesleyan Cardinals men's track and field athletes 20th-century American sportsmen