Salazar Takes Rodgers
That’s the headline from ON THE ROAD. Track & Field News. November 1979.
Boston, September 16 – With a mile remaining, Alberto Salazar told Bill Rodgers: “Do what you have to do to win.” Then Salazar himself did it, sprinting to victory over Boston’s Living Legend and 3000 other runners in the Freedom Trail Race.
Despite taking a wrong turn – which cost him perhaps eight seconds – Salazar covered the 8M (12.75 km) in 37:15.4 (4:39.4 pace). Rodgers, who had been hoping for a tie when Salazar spoke, strained to remain close, finishing just a half-second behind.
Salazar, an infrequent road racer, had stayed with the lead pack featuring Rodgers, Randy Thomas, John Flora, Mike Roche and Bob Hodge through 3M in 13:45. By 6M he was alone, closely following the press truck. Unfortunately for “The Rookie,” the ruck turned off the race course. So did Salazar. By the time he got back on track, Rodgers had caught up.
The race, once won, had to be won again. Salazar pulled away when he became reasonably confident of the finish line’s location. “I figured I’d done all the work, I wasn’t going to let a mistake by the press truck cost me the race.”
It didn’t. In fact, the press truck allowed Salazar to do something no other runner has ever done – beat Bill Rodgers twice in the same race.
No one beat Dia Elliman as she cruised to an easy victory over a lackluster women’s field in 45:20.1. Second went to Gillian Horovitz Adams in 46:30.
Bill Rodgers
About the Freedom Trail road race in ’79, I think that was the third year of the event. I won the first year in 38 minutes; in ’78, I tied with Randy Thomas in 37:09.
Then young Alberto came to Bostonia for a duel.
Alberto gapped me about the six-mile mark, going up the hill in front of the Massachusetts State House. However, after I crested the hill, I saw Alberto about eighty yards ahead but taking a right hand turn, when he should have gone left. It wasn’t his fault; the lead vehicle goofed up.
The problem was we were in Downtown Boston and, though it was a Sunday, anyone who knows Boston knows the streets are jammed with “pahked cahs.” It’s hard to see very far in any direction.
So, I flew down to meet up with Alberto, my old GBTC teammate and we are at about the seven-mile mark and winding thru the North end of Boston. The Finish line is not in sight til about three hundred yards to go or so. I was in a good mood catching up to Alberto as I had been a solid downhill racer in my own youth. I thought, as we were old teammates, he might want to tie. Of course, I never trained for, and therefore hardly ever won a race with my kick.
Young Alberto was beginning to have fun with road racing and Marathoning. I think he was feeling the strength of youth when he told me,”Do what you have to do to win.”
A month later, I won my fourth NYC marathon.
The Freedom Trail Road Race (8 miler) was discontinued a few years later by the City Of Boston.
We all had to make way for more more and more “cahs” in Boston.
Mike Roche
Not a lot of memories of this race other than wanting to visit Boston to see friends (Randy, Bill, et al.) And there may have been the lure of some under-the-table cash.
Also, there was a meeting at New Balance with Jim Davis that the NB athletes had to attend. I was not in great shape, but recall just trying to hang onto Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar and Bob Hodge. Randy Thomas, too.
I do recall early in the race trying to accelerate away on a downhill and being amazed at how easily BR just glided beside me – so much for his lack of speed.
I think I finished top 10, but not a super day for me. There is also a story about the post race party that I will share when we meet again. Let’s just say I wound up late to Jim Davis’ meeting the next day and still had my race singlet and number on.
Bob Hodge
I was disappointed. Very hard on myself at that time but it was a turning point when I met my future bride after the race.
Alberto told Bill he should go for it at the end as he didn’t intend to tie.
Dang, you would have to cause me to look back, just a flood of memories and emotions.I remember nothing very specific as to the race other than the disappointment that I wasn’t “in it” for the win at the end. And meeting Frannie.
My personal goal and that of the GBTC that fall was the AAU National XC Championships, an event we had been trying to win as a team for several years. This would likely be our best last chance with the top athletes in the club turning to shoe company-sponsored teams.
Freedom Trail races run together a bit for me as I ran nearly all of them.
Results (men) Courtesy of ARRS
| Finished | Time | Flags | Given name | Surname | Alternate name | Citizenship | Birth date | Prize money | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 37:15.4 | Alberto | Salazar | USA | 07 Aug 1958 | ||||
| 2 | 37:15.9 | Bill | Rodgers | USA | 23 Dec 1947 | ||||
| 3 | 37:26 | Randy | Thomas | USA | 28 Jul 1953 | ||||
| 4 | 37:31 | John | Flora | USA | 23 Jan 1956 | ||||
| 5 | 37:36 | Mike | Roche | USA | 27 Jun 1953 | ||||
| 6 | 37:51 | Robert | Hodge | USA | 03 Aug 1955 | ||||
| 7 | 38:06 | Greg | Meyer | USA | 18 Sep 1955 | ||||
| 8 | 38:21 | Richard | Mahoney | USA | 19 Mar 1950 | ||||
| 9 | 38:25 | Robert | Perkins | USA | 14 Oct 1955 | ||||
| 10 | 38:30 | Dan | Dillon | USA | 25 Jun 1957 | ||||
| 11 | 38:32 | Peter | Pfitzinger | USA | 29 Aug 1957 | ||||
| 12 | 38:37 | Gary | Tuttle | USA | 12 Oct 1947 | ||||
| 13 | 39:36 | Scott | Graham | USA | 31 Dec 1951 | ||||
| 14 | 39:48 | Timothy | Donovan | USA | 10 Jul 1954 | ||||
| 16 | 40:16 | Steve | Crowley | USA | |||||
| 17 | 40:24 | Michael | Byrne | IRL | 09 Jan 1956 | ||||
| 18 | 40:40 | Andy | Palmer | USA | 26 Nov 1953 |