Bill Rodgers: The run guru

Bill Rodgers inspired a nation with his legs, one race at a time.

Now he uses his voice, sharing tips, strategies and anecdotes to athletes across the globe.

His message is consistent — have fun.

He reiterated his theme at The Summit Fitness Center on Friday to a room of wide-eyed athletes.

Nearly 50 people of various athletic concentrations and ages were on hand for a question-and-answer session with Rodgers, soaking in the famous Olympians’ every word.

“You’ve got to have fun with it. That’s the most important thing for everyone in this room. Have fun,” Rodgers told the group.

“I think our sport stands for (the human spirit) more than any other sport, and it’s a family sport now which is one of its great strengths.”

Rodgers captivated the nation during his career by bringing distance running into the national spotlight, winning four Boston marathon titles and four New York City marathon titles.

In 1979, he won the Boston marathon in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 27 seconds — setting an American record for the second time in his career.

But Rodgers has slowed his pace since then.

The 67-year-old Hartford, Connecticut, native tours the country, running short distance races with local communities to promote running, healthy lifestyles and having fun.

“You meet the people in every city, but the other thing is, you run through the city. Sometimes you’re running right through downtown, Rodgers said. “I think there are only two states I haven’t run in yet in the U.S. I’ve run on five continents. All that travel is mind boggling, but you really find out the Japanese, the Russians, the Chinese are the same as us — at least the runners are.”

Rodgers will not only be on hand for today’s Summit Classic 5k and 10k races, he’ll also be running in it.

The event opens with a free one-mile race for children under the age of 12. Rodgers will trot along with the youngsters before tackling the 10k event.

“I’m a little nervous about the race, but I’m just going to have fun with it,” he said. “Last weekend I ran two 10ks — Saturday and Sunday. I’m still tired from that, but I’m really happy I came out here. Kalispell, Glacier National Park, it’s priceless.”

The Summit Classic will start at 9 a.m. with the free one-mile kids race, and the 5k and 10k races will follow.