Bill Rodgers was born to run. As a child he chased butterflies, as a high school senior he won the Connecticut cross country championship. At Wesleyan, he met Amby Burfoot, who motivated him to run farther and faster, but after college Bill quit running.

Bill Rodgers started smoking, hanging out in bars, and riding a motorcycle. He applied for conscientious objector status during the Vietnam War and got a job at a Boston hospital wheeling corpses to the morgue. When his motorcycle was stolen he started running to work.

Inspired by Frank Shorter's 1972 Olympic victory, and watching his old roommate, Amby Burfoot, run Boston, Bill vowed to kick his unhealthy habits and take to the road.

In 1973, Bill Rodgers entered his first Boston Marathon, but dropped out after 21 miles. The next year he came in 14th in 2:19:34. In 1975 Bill Rodgers set a course record (2:09:55), even stopping on Heartbreak Hill to tie his shoe! He won Boston in 1978, 1979 (breaking his own record with a PR 2:09:27) and 1980. Bill Rodgers also won the New York City Marathon four times, in 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979. Bill Rodgers has set world masters records for 5K, 8K, 10K and 10 miles.

Bill was born in Hartford, CT on Dec. 23, 1947. Bill Rodgers's family moved to Newington, CT when he was about 2 years old. After graduating from Newington High School in 1966, he received his B.A. in Sociology in 1970. He went on to earn a Masters Degree in Special Education at Boston College in 1975.

Bill Rodgers currently is a spokesperson for his own sportswear company and running center, as well as for Running Times magazine. He runs about 25 races a year, and also makes about 25 speaking engagements per year.

Inspirational, Adventure