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Viewpoint: Running with Bill can't be beat

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By Dave Shelles | Saturday, July 26, 2008 |

On Friday night, Bill Rodgers estimated his finish time for the Quad-City Times Bix 7 at “51 to 52 minutes.”

Sports news editor Tim Leibold and I, both runners who know the legend of “Boston Billy,” chuckled and said simultaneously “Yeah, right.”

To call Rodgers a legend is an understatement. Coming along just after 1972 Olympic marathon champion Frank Shorter, Rodgers helped solidify the running boom of the 1970s. He won the Bix 7 in 1980 and then won it again the next year in addition to four Boston Marathon wins and four New York Marathon wins.

So to hear this man offer such a modest goal seemed a bit odd, though he was in the 51-minute range in 2007, too.

After the gun, I joined the charge up Brady Street hill, made the turn onto Kirkwood and settled into a pace. Around me, I heard applause, cheering, guitars, basses, drums and bagpipes.

And I heard: “Go Billy!”

“All right, Bill!”

“Way to run, Bill!”

Granted, Bill’s a common name, but there’s no other Bill known to almost everyone lining Kirkwood Boulevard. On my right was the slight figure and unmistakable low arm carriage of the man himself. He waved to the crowd whenever he heard his name, sometimes thanking them. And I adjusted my pace to take it in.

It was like running with Norm from “Cheers.” Everyone knew his name. He let people pass him on the downhills but still charged up the hills like he was chasing Alberto Salazar. He grabbed a bottle of water around the halfway mark — and later offered it to a man walking and trying to stretch his hamstring.

“He looked tired,” Rodgers said. “I’m feeling a little tired, too.”

When Bill Rodgers offers you water and a handshake, you accept both.

Rodgers took leave of me with about a mile and a half left. When I came within sight of the finish, I heard the announcer identify him and applause rolled over the Third Street corridor.

To put it one way, I got up on stage and jammed with the Rolling Stones. In another arena, I might have gotten out and shot buckets with Michael Jordan. Or walked 18 with Jack Nicklaus. Fat chance of any of those happening, though.

Instead of that, I got to run with Bill Rodgers.

Dave Shelles is a sports copy editor Contact him at (563) 333-2611 or

e-mail dshelles@qctimes.com