Bill Rodgers reflects on Boston Marathon with a month to go before No. 115

With just over a month before the 115th Boston Marathon, long-distance legend Bill Rodgers found time to talk about the race he won on four occasions between 1975 and 1980.”It’s the ultimate celebration of life,” Rodgers said in an exclusive interview on Sunday.Rodgers was in Quincy on Saturday night to help honor race director Dave McGillivray and his sports management and consulting company, DMSE, which has played a role in races for 30 years – including 23 Boston Marathons.”It’s the best marathon in the world,” Rodgers said. “It has the most history. (McGillivray) gave that strength to the new modern-era Boston Marathon and has done great stuff for other races.”Rodgers, who won the Marathon in 1975 and from 1978-80, was one of the speakers at the tribute at the Boston Marriott Quincy. The Marathon was well represented – not only through McGillivray and Rodgers, but also from other speakers like Greg Meyer, the 1983 champion, and Boston Athletic Association executive director Tom Grilk.”Boston has kind of been a bastion for distance running ? and it still is,” Rodgers said on Sunday.He noted that the Boston Marathon is the oldest in New England (it debuted in April 1897) and praised the “veterans” on the BAA, including Grilk. He also saluted the sponsorship of John Hancock.Additionally, he mentioned a Lynn connection to the race in the late Jock Semple (who had family in Lynn).”For 40 years, he was the co-organizer,” Rodgers said. “He played a huge role in the Boston Marathon. He kept the race strong with Will Cloney.”Semple may be best remembered for trying to prevent a female runner, Katherine Switzer, from competing in the race in 1967, when women were not yet allowed to participate. He was involved in the Marathon for six decades and died at 84 in 1988.”Other marathons started but did not last,” Rodgers said. “But Boston kept it going, and Jock Semple was one who kept it alive during the lean years.”Rodgers has retired from running marathons, but he keeps busy. His projects include his Faneuil Hall running store, the oldest in Boston.”It’s been great to make friends and see the Boston Marathon stay strong,” Rodgers said. “It gets tricky as you get older. I’m trying to follow in the footsteps of (fellow Marathon legends) Johnny Kelley, Clarence DeMar and Joan Benoit Samuelson.”He is also concerned about the issue of public health in the US today.”When we talk about obesity and diabetes, it’s related to a lack of (exercise) opportunities,” he said. “In schools, we need more sports than just small teams ? Kids can go outside for 45 minutes and stretch their legs, dance or play basketball on school grounds.”He also said that the health-care industry “should get behind (running), have incentives through your health plan, like lowering the cost of people’s insurance if they lower their cholesterol.”Rodgers is, however, optimistic about what’s next for Boston’s premier running event.”The future is good for the Boston Marathon,” Rodgers said. “Dave McGillivray has contributed greatly, and his team. That’s what (Saturday) night was all about.”