And, as if by magic, it is. Here are Tom Fleming (left) and Bob Hodge, both top class American roadrunners, duking it out for third in the Boston Marathon of that year. They will both break 2:13 in the wake of a classic duel between Toshihiko Seko and Bill Rodgers, Boston Billy eventually prevailing for his third course win in a U.S. record of 2:09:27.
Fleming won New York twice in the early 70's before they changed the course. He is remembered for the following quote, which captured the high mileage training philosophy of that time (there is an interview online somewhere with him where he says he operated best off 150/160 miles per week, but he and Rodgers experimented a couple of times with 200 miles!). . . . .
'Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win.'
Amen.
