Here you will see Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter preparing for and competing in the 1978 Boston Marathon. The first 20 minutes introduces you to both athletes as you watch them train, discus their preparations, and watch them both work in their retail jobs. Rodgers has won 7 out of the last 9 marathons that he has completed, although in the 1977 Boston race he stopped at 17 miles. This will be Shorter’s first marathon in a year as he has been recovering from a hamstring injury. With 6,000 starters, and about 250 female competitors, Rodgers wins (2:10:13) in a dramatic finish by a two second margin over Jeff Wells from Texas. In the post race interviews Rodgers states "This was the hardest marathon in my life" and Shorter notes "I'm not sure if my running today shows anything other than a lack of good sense". Appearances by Kenny Moore and wheelchair athlete Bob Hall are a nice touch to this production. This 16mm film has a run time of 50 minutes and was made possible by WQED (Television Station in Pittsburgh, PA) and Robert A. Wilson Associates.
