This Day in Track & Field, April 21, Bill Rodgers wins his first of four Boston Marathons in AR 2:09:55 (1975), by Walt Murphy

This Day in Track & Field–April  21

1934–Stanford’s John Lyman, who finished 4th at the 1932 U.S. Olympic Trials, set a World Record in the Shot Put with his throw of 54-1 (16.48m) in Palo Alto.

WR Progression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men’s_shot_put_world_record_progression

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lyman_(athlete)

1975 (50th Anniversary!)–Not universally known yet as Bill, “Will” Rodgers, as his name was reported in the Boston Globe, won the first of his four Boston Marathon titles, running 2:09:55 to set an “American Record”.  West Germany’s Liane Winter set a “World Record” of 2:42:24 in the Women’s division. The record setters were helped by a strong tailwind.

Less than two weeks earlier, Rodgers received a letter from Steve Prefontaine. Pre sent congratulations to Bill for his bronze medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Rabat, Morocco, in March of ’75. He also sent Bill a pair of training shoes, and a pair of “Boston ’73” racing shoes. He said he had heard, from Jeff Galloway, Bill’s college teammate at Wesleyan, that Bill was interested in trying “our” shoes. Long before Nike became a corporate giant, it seems that Bill Bowerman, the legendary University of Oregon coach, and possibly even Pre himself, were making shoes at Bowerman’s house. They were interested in the reaction of the top athletes, to their shoes. Bill was one of these athletes. (The shoes were a bit large and he would have to stop and tie them up for better support!).

Read more at: https://yhst-38716594749934.store.turbify.net/letterfrompre.html

Other notable finishers

Men: 3.Tom Fleming 2:12:05…5.Ron Hill (GBR) 2:13:28

Women: 2.Kathrine Switzer 2:51:37

https://tonireavis.com/2020/04/21/bill-rodgers-on-the-run-remembering-his-1975-boston-marathon-win/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW9Dnm8O5Dk

Hall of Fame Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/bill-rodgers

1979—(From the NY Times Archives): As expected, Villanova dominated the Rutgers Relays today, winning four of the eight championship races.

But the most dramatic moment of the two‐day track and field carnival at Rutgers Stadium was an unexpected 35‐minute protest demonstration by a group of about 150 black students from Rutgers and its affiliated colleges.

The students filed into the west stands of the stadium and then onto the backstretch of the all‐weather synthetic track during the final lap of the 6,400‐meter relay, disregarding…