Chicago area runners continue to compete into their 70s and 80s
CHICAGO (CBS) – If you have a fitness New Year's resolution, maybe to run a 5K or even a marathon, some Chicago area seniors may inspire you.
They're some of the oldest, fastest men in America. As a matter of fact, it took Streaming Anchor Brad Edwards a minute to catch up with them.
The death of one season promised another on a wind-licked day where Edwards was whooped by a couple of Bobs.
Bob Hakes, 89, aka "Old Bob," and Bob O'Connor, 77, aka "Young Bob," met through the Oak Park Runners Club.
So, what do they find so compelling about running?
"You always have to have something to look forward to," Hakes said. "You look forward to meeting your friends, to doing something."
The two Bobs took very different tracks to the club.
Hakes said he started smoking when he was 12, O'Connor said he started keeping track of every mile he ran while he was in high school.
"I've run about 110,000 miles," O'Connor said.
The most important half-mile of that was as a Loyola University scholarship runner. He was one of four men who set a world record in the 2-mile relay in 1969, which still stands with an asterisk.
"The year after we set a 2-mile relay world record, they changed it to the four by 800, so it's actually a slightly different event," O'Connor said, laughing. "So it'll never get broken because nobody ever runs it anymore."
While O'Connor smoked a world record, Hakes ditched the drags and only took up running at age 45. He's run 38 marathons.
"We do it when we're training for the Senior Games," Hakes said.
They're both still competing as Senior Olympians.
"You always give a little more than what's expected," Hakes said.
So how do they do it?
"No medications," Hakes said. "None."
O'Connor told a story about his running mate.
"Bob calls me up on the hottest day of the year and said, 'Bob, you know, it's gonna be 105 heat index," O'Connor said. "We got to go for a run. So we do."
There was also the time Hakes called O'Connor when the wind chill was 42 degrees below 0, but still wanted to go running.
Most of all, they love to run for fun, like youth, without a worry or an ache.
The Bobs plan to compete in the next Senior Finals in Des Moines, Iowa. Hakes is thinking about trying to qualify for the 50-meter dash, 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 400-meter dash, and he's toying with maybe doing the 800-meter run.
Combined, the two Bobs have been married for more than 90 years, have eight kids and 12 grandkids, and Hakes has four great-grandchildren so far.