Press Release - The Boston Marathon - 4/14/09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  
4-time Boston Marathon Champion Bill Rodgers to run again on Patriots' Day

Boston, Mass. - Bill Rodgers, whose four Boston Marathon victories between 
1975 and 1980 helped popularize the sport of marathon running in the United 
States, plans to be on the starting line in Hopkinton once again on April 
20th, the Boston Athletic Association announced today.

His bib will read "Rodgers," and his official number will be 79 to honor 
the 30th anniversary of his 1979 Boston Marathon win. Rodgers, 61, last 
completed the race in 1996, when he celebrated the 100th Boston Marathon. 
Then 48, Rodgers ran 2:53:23.

"We couldn't be happier that Bill has chosen to run again this year," said 
Guy Morse, Executive Director of the Boston Athletic Association. "Just the 
name "Bill Rodgers" brings to mind the true spirit and joy of running the 
Boston Marathon, from the race champions to the age-group athletes to those 
running to raise funds for charity. The man is known as "Boston Billy" for 
a reason."

The 113th Boston Marathon will be the 17th for Rodgers, who last year 
underwent treatment for prostate cancer. His victories came in 1975, 1978, 
1979 and 1980. In his first victory here, running for the Greater Boston 
Track Club, he broke both the course and American records with his time of 
2:09:55, despite stopping four times for a drink of water and once to tie 
his shoelace. He broke the course and American record again in 1979 with 
his 2:09:27 win. 

This year, he hopes to complete the race in just under four hours, saying 
he is not seeking any age group records but just wants to run "for the fun 
of it." 

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