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Bill Rodgers_比尔·罗杰斯_4次波士顿马拉松和纽约马拉松比赛冠军得主-马拉松210运动员-人物百科-跑步百科
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Bill Rodgers（比尔·罗杰斯）跑步书籍合集（附PDF电子书网盘下载地址）
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《Marathon Man: My 26.2-Mile Journey from Unknown Grad Student to the Top of the Running World》简介：

The legendary long-distance runner details his historic victory in the 1975 Boston Marathon that launched the modern running boom

Within a span of two hours and nine minutes, Bill Rodgers went from obscurity to legend, from Bill Rodgers to "Boston Billy." In doing so, he instantly became the people's champ and the poster boy for the soulful 1970s distance runner. Having won the Boston Marathon and New York Marathon four times each, he remains the only marathoner to have appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice. Winning the Holy Grail of marathons in an unthinkable record time changed Bill's life forever.

But his dramatic breakthrough in Boston also changed the lives of countless others, instilling in other American runners the belief that they could follow in his footsteps, and inspiring thousands of regular people to lace up their shoes and chase down their own dreams. In the year before Rodger's victory at the 1975 Boston Marathon, 20,000 people had completed a marathon in the United States. By 2009, participants reached nearly half a million.

Thirty-seven years later Bill Rodgers still possesses the same warm, endearing, and whimsical spirit that turned him into one of America's most beloved athletes. In Marathon Man he details for the first time this historic race and the events that led him there.

《Marathon Man: My 26.2-Mile Journey from Unknown Grad Student to the Top of the Running World》书籍评论：

From Booklist
Marathoner Rodgers makes clear in this engaging memoir that his rise to running greatness was a meandering path with many pit stops and detours along the way, including a period of time where he stopped running completely and became a smoker. The memoir is told in two parts, alternating between recollections of his life beginning with his college years and a detailed account of Rodgers’ victorious 1975 Boston marathon, in which he set the American record. Rodgers’ story is a remarkable tale of athletic triumph, and the account of how he was able to return to running will be inspiring for new runners and those returning to the sport after a long layoff. Rodgers emphasizes the hours of hard work and sacrifice that led him to the top, but, unfortunately, he sometimes crosses the line from taking pride in his accomplishments to simply boasting about them, which is definitely off-putting to the reader. Still, followers of marathons will be eager to learn the story of one of the sport’s big names. --Eve Gaus

Review
“I've been reading Bill Rodgers' book, Marathon Man, and they let him go. And I tried to visualize that, race the way he did.” ―Meb Keflezighi, moments after winning the 2014 Boston Marathon

“Required Reading” ―New York Post

“This book is more than a good read. It's my new Bible.” ―Fitness

“An absorbing portrait…of the grueling stress and subtle strategizing of long-distance races, and of the plucky, slapdash subculture of marathoning in its salad days.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Bill Rodgers is the most celebrated men's distance runner in history.” ―National Distance Running Hall of Fame

“If anyone can rally runners to a cause, it is Rodgers, who remains by some measures the most popular road racer of all time” ―Runners World

“Trace the popularity of road running today, and the roots lead back to Rodgers.” ―South Bend Tribune

“I could see reading this book on the beach and being inspired to do an afternoon run.” ―Ross Martinson, co-owner of Philadelphia Runner writing for BeWellPhilly.com's Summer Reading List

About the Author
A four-time winner of the Boston and NYC Marathons, BILL RODGERS holds five current American records and one current world record. A spokesperson for the Etonic Shoe Company, Running Times and the Bill Rodgers Running Center, he was inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1998.

MATTHEW SHEPATIN has written for the New York Post, Esquire, Playboy, New York Magazine, The Village Voice, and co-authored You Can't Catch Sunshine with Jets Hall of Famer Don Maynard.

 

This is the first book review I've ever written--a testament to how much this book affected me. I loved reading every page and was sad when it ended. I tried to pace myself and not "go out too fast" so that I could savor it, but that was hard to do. It's a wonderful account of the ups and downs of Bill's rise to the top of the running world in the 70s. I lived in the Boston area during this time period and his influence on runners--not only in New England but around the world--and on the running boom was unparalleled. Reading the book was like looking into the past for me and reliving the experience.

I was lucky to have moved to the Boston area in 1974 and to have watched my first Boston Marathon in 1975. Like almost everyone else that day, I had no idea who Bill was. In fact, I didn't know the names of any of the runners. I was at the 30K mark when Bill ran by in his purple "BOSTON/GBTC" shirt. Unfortunately, it happened so fast that I didn't have my camera ready so regrettably didn't get a photo of him, only the runners that trailed behind. At that point in my life, watching them run by I remember thinking "how are these people even moving after running 18 miles?" Little did I know that watching this event, along with reading Jim Fixx's "The Complete Book of Running" a few years later would lead me to start running and never stop.

I was lucky to have witnessed all four of Bill's Boston wins. Some of the most thrilling moments of my life have been watching the Boston Marathon. Seeing the helicopters circling closer and closer and then seeing them overhead, signaling the arrival of the front runners. Then seeing the press truck. Then seeing the lead pack. Then watching them fly by in a flash. To me it's the simply the most highly concentrated thirty seconds of sporting excitement one can experience. Like seeing Bill charge up Heartbreak Hill in 1978 in his orange BR Running Center singlet, the crowd closing in on him and going crazy. Or seeing him leading Seko through the Newton hills in 1979. I cherish my pictures of that moment. Or seeing him surrounded by a phalanx of motorcycles, all alone in the lead in 1980.

I was later able to run Boston several times myself and will always cherish these experiences. I also participated in the Freedom Trail race in 1979, in which Bill out-dueled Alberto Salazar. As an aside, I remember about a mile into that race looking to my right and seeing Johnny Kelly (the elder). As I passed him chugging along I thought "Here I am running about a 6:40 pace (not fast but not slow either) and he's 72 years old and it's taken me a mile to pass him!" A great memory. I also participated in a "fun run" with Bill and a number of fans two days before his 1979 Boston win. It started at his store in Cleveland Circle. I think Tom Fleming took part in it as well. The pace was supposed to be fairly pedestrian, but I noticed that it gradually increased. I wrote in my running log: "Ran 3X around reservoir in Chestnut Hill with Bill Rodgers--5.25 miles. Incredibly fast! They did 4 laps, I lasted 3."

There are some other reasons why I connect with Bill. As he did, I applied for conscientious objector status and opposed the war in Vietnam. However, I was rejected because of asthma so I didn't have to perform community service like he did. I was not aware of his political beliefs and that he was a conscientious objector and really admire him for taking a stand. In addition, I, too, received a graduate degree in education from Boston College in the 70s. As a matter of fact, I remember watching Bill and other members of the GBTC work out at the BC track. I also remember seeing Bill running the Newton hills occasionally on my way to the College. And I remember one of my professors saying in class the day after the marathon in 1979, "Well that's great that they do that, but they won't be doing that when they retire." I wanted to raise my hand and say "Well I will be!" Finally, both Bill and I are both prostate cancer survivors.

So in closing, I must stress my "love" for this book and for the man. The book was a joy to read and he is a true icon, an inspiration and humble role model who dominated his chosen profession in a way that we will likely not see again any time soon. He will always be my favorite runner. He changed my life and for that I will be eternally grateful.

 

This portrait of the four-time winner of both the Boston and New York Marathons, fittingly is bursting with energy. It captures the persistence and depth of one of the most prominent running heroes of our time.

Bill Rodgers details his humble beginnings and the circumstances that led him to become a running superstar in the seventies. In just two hours and nine minutes, Rodgers completed the 1975 Boston Marathon and instantly became a sensation, thereafter nicknamed "Boston Billy." He went on to compete in many marathons and hold the title of the world's number one long-distance runner in '75, '77, and `79. In addition to creating Rodger's newfound fame, his success helped make running chic and inspired thousands of ordinary folks to lace up and hit the road.

In Marathon Man, we learn about the attitude, dedication, obstacles, triumphs, and strategies of one of America's most respected distance runners. Runners of all stripes are likely to appreciate this memoir as it gives insight into the roots of today's running culture through the eyes of one of our greats.

Other books I recommend are:
The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei, which tells about this sect of truly amazing Buddhist monks who to complete their training, run/walk 52.5 miles per DAY for 100 days. And Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen which offers great insight into long distance running, with fine storytelling. If you haven't read this bestseller, definitely do. Any serious runner will find both these of interest.

 

 

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