CLEVELAND — At 60 years old one runner set the goal to run 1,000 races and this Sunday at the Rock and Hall of fame half marathon he got one race closer.
For Bill Robb running is more than sport, instead it’s his life.
“There's a feeling you get that you won't know about unless you are a runner. There's just one feeling a lot of people call it a runner's high,” said Robb.
In his house, he has a room filled the hardware to prove it. He's earned hundreds of trophies and medals from all across northeast Ohio.
Bill has been running since 1979, he said he fell in love with the sport back in high school when he would run with a friend during the summer to stay in shape for football workouts. And he hasn't slowed down ever since. Even in his 60’s, he still takes on half marathons and full ones too.
“You got to listen to your body. That’s the key thing with running. You got to have good shoes and you got to listen to your body,” said Robb.
He set the goal to run 1,000 races a few years back when he realized he wasn’t too far off. Though Covid slowed his count, the 1,000 is less than a few races away.
“Well, I never thought I’d come to 1000 races. You know, I knew I was going to run a lot of races over the years, but a nice number 1000, which I’ll do on October 29th,” said Robb.
Oct. 29 is also Bill’s 61st birthday, but for Bill, reaching those 4 digits isn’t just a personal achievement. It is also a dedication to his dad, who passed in February.
“He was a big supporter of me. My dad was at all my races. You know, when I was younger, all through school,” said Robb.
Sunday at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he hit 997, crossing the finish line strong.
“Three to go for a 1000, 998 is tonight - a 2 miler,” said Robb.
Bill has three more to go before he meets his goal. When he crosses that finish line for the 1,000th time, there's one thing he'll make sure to do, and it's to thank his dad. Then, he tells News 5 he'll just start striving for 1,000 more.
