WARNING: This article will make some people defensive, upset, while others will find hope in it. Proceed with caution.

If I were to tell you about a twenty-something runner who sometimes runs 20 miles in the morning and then 20 miles that same afternoon, you’d be impressed. Correct? What if I said that he was actually 41 years old? That would be even more impressive because we all know that athletes in their forties are past their prime. Right? So what would you say if this runner was twice as old, or 82 years old? That’s how it is! According to runner’s world Gail Kislevitz of the magazine, Evaro, Montana’s Bob Hayes, 82, occasionally takes two 20-mile runs in a single day. But that is not all.

Bob runs almost every day and likes to “run every weekend” that he can. This rugged-fit octogenarian competes in everything from 5Ks to marathons and ultramarathons (anything over 26.2 miles). Since, with the encouragement of her son, Thomas, she ran her first 5K at age 60 and found she liked it, she has run six marathons (two last year alone), 36 ultras (including 8 or 9 100Ks/62 milers ), and countless shorter runs.

Bob, now 83, completed his 12th LeGrizz 50-Miler last month (his first was at age 70); his time of 10 hours and 47 minutes, or just under 13 minutes per mile, was 17 minutes faster than he had done three years earlier, when he was just 80 years old. This last race for LeGrizz was not easy, because the temperature at the start was record low, for the beginning of October: zero degrees, FARENHEIT! brrrrr. One might assume that, at his age, Bob would finish a distant last in such a long race, but he actually came in 63rd out of 91 competitors; that means Bob had the energy and stamina to outrun 28 much younger runners.

Some readers at this point wonder, “Why would anyone, especially someone in their eighties, put themselves through the pain and exhausting effort that must be a necessary component of running 50 miles?” Here are some of the reasons why this octogenarian ultra-runner willingly competes in these races, knowing full well the struggle and suffering he is about to endure each time:

• The Social Aspect — Hanging out and chatting with other runners of all ages and abilities before, during and after a race is so much more fun than spending time at the senior center.
• the feeling of achievement after a run, the rush, the feeling of satisfaction at having completed a very difficult task, stays with Bob for “days and days and days.”
• Be in a good form – Because of this vigorous activity of choice, running and ultra running, Bob Hayes at 80 is in better shape than he was at 60, before he started running. The former lumberjack, who was always in excellent shape due to his physically demanding work, is said to have said at 80, “I’m in the best shape of my life.” How many people in their 80s, 60s, or even 40s can say that?

At this point, there are those who feel threatened by Bob’s achievements, who feel that he is demonstrating them by virtue of his excellent fitness at such an advanced age. These people are mentally busy making excuses (reasons, if you will) why Bob can do all this running… and they can’t. I hope that’s not you, because this tale of Bob Hayes, runner extraordinaire, is meant to give the rest of us hope, not make the rest of us look bad. It is written for the sole purpose of demonstrating, or at least helping us believe, that by making some lifestyle adjustments or continuing to take good care of ourselves, we too can stay in good shape no matter our age. It’s to show that we don’t have to deteriorate at the same rapid pace that seems to be the norm for so many in today’s society. Bob Hayes shows us through his example that we can be vibrantly alive no matter how many years have passed.

We can feel that Bob is showing us, that his good health is just a lucky genetic freak of nature, and make excuses for our own failings, or we can use his story to give us hope, use it as an impetus to make some changes for the better. The choice, as always, is up to us!