Consistency Pays Off

“I like the fighting spirit you feel in a race,” says Tad Dobbs, a retired civil service employee. Dobbs, 81, has been racing for more than 64 years. His best effort last year was at the Double Bridge 5-K in his hometown of Pensacola, Fla., where he finished first in his age group in 33:36.

Dobbs started entering 1- and 3-mile races in high school back in 1936. Since then he has raced all over the world. “I never get tired of it,” says Dobbs, who runs 45 to 60 minutes four times a week, mostly on soft trails through the woods. He averages 10 races a year. “ A lot of my buddies stopped running, then later tried to start up again,” says Dobbs. “Some made it, some didn’t. I just never stopped.”

*Reprinted by permission of Runner's World magazine. Copy written 2003, Rodele Press, Inc. All right reserved.