Marathoning

by Bill Rodgers, Joe Concannon

Winner of the world's three major marathon races over a six-month stretch, Rodgers describes how he developed from an indifferent highschool cross-country runner into one of the most famous marathon runners in history

Genres: Sports

Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

William "Bill" Henry Rodgers is an American runner and former American record holder in the marathon who is best known for his victories in the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon in the late 1970s. His victories made him a hero and secondary fuel for the running boom of the 1970s.

Reviews

[GPiep · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't rate this super highly, but I did enjoy it. Even though this was written over 40 years ago, many of Bill's insights are still very relevant today. It was also interesting hearing about problems within the sport of running that existed back then and thinking about the extent of how many of those problems still exist today.

He does have a bit of a wandering format. I almost feel like I can hear him rambling in person. So, I think the book could have benefitted from being organized a bit more linearly. On the other hand I really felt like I was being given information directly through Bill rather than through a writer that may or may not have captured Bill's thoughts and insights as precisely.

Overall, if you like running, especially the history of American running, you'll probably appreciate this read. If you aren't a runner, I probably wouldn't bother.

[Mwenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once I was able to overlook the poor writing and structure, I very much enjoyed the book. Rodgers was in the thick of the initial wave of running popularity in America, and it’s fun to learn the history of marathons that were already famous, like Boston, and races that were new at the time, like New York. Many aspects of distance running that were true back then have stood the test of time, from training methods to hydration and nutrition. It was also entertaining to read Bill’s perspective on aspects like women in distance running and altitude training, and compare to now. I hadn’t realized before how huge marathon running was in Japan, and how competitive the Japanese used to be compared to current times with primarily Kenyans and Ethiopians dominating at the international level. For a fan or practitioner of the sport, this is a great history of how it was in the 1970s. With some training tips and random anecdotes mixed in. Definitely could have used a better editor, but enjoyable nonetheless.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Not very good writing in this, but it is informative, super motivating, and offers great history of marathons in the 1970s.

[Dave Irwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think Bill Rodgers is an amazing athlete, however, his writing is not easy to read. I enjoyed some of his stories about actual competitions, but struggled reading the book in general. He is a better runner than writer.

[Col · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too self-indulgent. He comes across as a bit of an egotitist and thinks he knows better than anyone else. It was a shame he wrote it in 1980 when he was still competing - I get the feeling that if he had have waited until he retired he may have written with a bit more humility.

[Matt Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most influential book of my high school running life.