Photo: Emma Delk 89-year-old Robert Cole said he will keep running “until God brings me home.”
Robert Cole ran his first road race, then called the Elby’s Distance Race, in downtown Wheeling in 1977 at age 46. Since then, he’s run races every year, from the Big Boy Classic to what is now the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend hosted by West Virginia University School of Medicine.
Cole ran his first 20K race while he was pastor at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church. After participating in every 20K race, he continued running even when the course changed to a half marathon. After that, he started running a 5K every year. This year, at age 89, he ran in the 5K hosted by West Virginia University Medicine Children’s.
“Now I do a little bit of the ‘Bob Cole Shuffle’ on the course and talk a little bit with the other runners because my hard running days are over,” said Cole, who said he ran 35 Boston marathons in his heyday as a distance runner.
Cole is limiting the distance of his races but not the number of races he runs each year. Last year, he ran 23 races and hopes to run 24 this year. Saturday’s 5K at West Virginia University Medicine Children’s marked the fifth race he will run in 2024.
“I can’t remember how many races I’ve run since that first (20K),” Cole added.
Cole will turn 90 in September and credits his longevity in athletics to the fact that “God is merciful.” Next weekend, Cole plans to continue his track record by competing in a 5K race in Philippi, West Virginia.
“I’m going to keep running until God brings me home,” Cole said.
