OCTOBER FEATURED MEMBER!

Bill's journey with RoughFit began when his wife, Joann, surprised him by signing him up for Group Fitness classes to "get him off the couch." He jokingly claims he was an overweight couch potato before being "forced" into joining. Shortly after, Bill was challenged to run a half marathon. He did so well that the challenge extended to qualifying for the Boston Marathon—and so his incredible running journey began.

If you know Bill, you know what a remarkable athlete and runner he is. To date, he’s completed 24 marathons, including 7 Boston Marathons, with plans to run Boston again next year. And let’s not forget—he’s gearing up to run the Chicago Marathon in just 3 weeks!

Bill attributes his most significant fitness breakthrough not just to JoAnn’s encouragement but also to joining the RoughFit Run Club. The club, which started in 2010 when Jenni and Greg took over RoughFit, became the foundation of his running success. In his early days with the club, Bill would always carry a water bottle during his runs, which Jenni teasingly called his "security blanket." She believed that ditching the bottle would help him break the 3-hour marathon mark—and she was right! Bill dropped the bottle, improved his marathon time by 9 minutes, and eventually broke the 3-hour barrier twice in one year, clocking a 2:58 at the Mountain to Beach Marathon and a 2:59 in Kansas City. Bill once thought he'd retire if he ever ran a sub-3-hour marathon, but here he is, 11 years later, still running strong and consistently qualifying for Boston.

When asked about his most memorable races, Bill highlights Boston 2014, the year after the bombing, as one of the most emotional experiences of his life. Sharing that day with other RoughFit runners and feeling the overwhelming support from the people of Boston made it unforgettable. Another standout for him was the 2017 Marine Corps Marathon, which holds special significance as Bill served 6 years in the Marine Corps. Finishing the race at the Marine Corps War Memorial was a deeply meaningful moment for him.

Bill also reflects on how Marine Corps boot camp tested his mental and physical limits, where he became a 300 PFT’r (Physical Fitness Test): running 3 miles in under 18 minutes, completing 20 pull-ups, and doing 80 sit-ups in 2 minutes. Sounds like a RoughFit-worthy challenge!

Bill has stayed with RoughFit all these years because of the amazing community and friendships he’s built. He values being around like-minded people who challenge and hold him accountable. He says, “After being introduced to marathoning, I’ve accomplished things I never thought possible! I’ve traveled and experienced so much!”

Thank you, Bill, for being an inspiring part of the RoughFit family and for sharing your incredible journey with us. You are a true inspiration!

Favorite Quotes from Bill:

“Put in the training, the race will take care of itself!”

“Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever!”

Thank you for your service, Bill! Semper Fi—Always Faithful.