I write this in honour of Bill “Boston Billy” Rogers (so nicknamed for his 4 Boston wins in the 1970s; although his legacy extends to an amazing 22 career marathon titles). I had the good fortune to run alongside him (and his pacers and adoring fans) for about 5K near the start of the Boston Marathon, his first since a DNF in 1999 (he last finished the marathon in 1996 during the 100th running). As good as it feels to run stride for stride with a former winner, I should disclose that the man is almost 30 years my senior and is retired from competitive running. In his own words, “I’m not racing on the course. I’m retired as a competitive marathoner. I’ve got too many miles in my body. After cancer, it means a lot more to me. If I finish it will feel like a victory. When I ran the 100th Boston, I didn’t race that one. It was pure celebration. That’s what I want this to be.” Nevertheless, I’m still tickled that I ran next to a four-time winner. It makes me feel all speedy inside. I sprinted ahead of him when I realized that sharing the pavement with a legend has its disadvantages, most notably people get so excited when they see him they forget to cheer for you. If I ever wanted to hear anyone chant my name I knew I needed to separate myself from running royalty. And so I bid him adieu and went forth to conquer the many hills of Boston, happily motivated by the sounds of the crowd yelling my name.
In honour of both the race and a man that defined a running era, here are some of my favourite Boston Bill quotes (title quote included):
Anybody can be a runner … We were meant to move. We were meant to run. It’s the easiest sport.
Your training partners are your key to success, and friendships based on your runs together are strong.
My whole feeling in terms of racing is that you have to be very bold. You sometimes have to be aggressive and gamble.
Every race is totally different.
Hills are terrific for running.
This sport is the sport to see what you are made of, so use those expert’s advice, but be free to be your own champion runner, picking and choosing advice you enjoy and that works best for you.
You cannot always run at your best.
I often lose motivation, but it’s something I accept as normal.
I want to run until I can’t run.
