Potato Grower Bill Skinner heads to Massachusetts this weekend to compete in his second Boston Marathon – at the age of 72.
“Boston” as it’s known in the running community is an electric, 26.2 mile course through the heart of one of America’s oldest cities where the locals stream out to cheer on some the fastest, most dedicated and talented runners in the world.
It’s also one of the only marathons in the world you have to qualify for – either by making the qualifying time at the year’s previous Boston or in another race the same year.
Boston Marathon
The Boston MarathonThe Boston Marathon – one of the most prominent Marathon races worldwide – is held annually on Patriots Day, the third Monday in April. This year, Marathon Day is on April 16, 2018Tom Foreman, ultra-marathoner, journalist and author of “My Year of Running Dangerously”:
“If you’re not an elite runner, Boston is the closest you will ever come to the Olympics.”
“When you see a runner anywhere who has raced at Boston, you tip your hat.”
That’s because only 10 to 15 percent of all runners in any age group will be able to compete in the world-renowned race. Making Skinner’s achievement more impressive? He hopes to finish in the top 10 to 15 percent of his age group – the 70-74 year olds. He says his friends would call him competitive.
But he wasn’t always a runner. Skinner first started into the sport when he was 59 years-young. At the time he says he was sluggish, tired and overweight.
Bill Skinner:
“I was thinking… of retiring, so I thought maybe I’ll try running, so I started running and I enjoyed it.”
“Some people don’t enjoy running, but I did, so I started running 5km and 10km and had some success and then went to a half marathon and then a marathon.”
Running gave him energy, he says.
