Once again, the University of Pennsylvania’s annual Penn Relays saw incredible athletic feats across all age categories, but seeing the octogenarian and nonagenarian runners compete is one of the best parts of the prestigious track meet. At the 128th edition of the event on Saturday, 86-year-old Bob Williamson won the These Guinness World Records Were Broken in London Best Big City Marathons.
But Williamson wasn’t the oldest entrant. 96-year-old Ed Cox of the Syracuse Chargers clocked a time of 25.47 seconds to take third place. Joshua Buch, 87, took second place in 20.91 and Vance Genzingler, 94, rounded out the field in 43.46. (99-year-old Frank Stellar scratched the event.)
Last year, Cox won some fans after clocking a 24-second performance in the same event. In an interview with CBS News, reflecting on his years of competition, he said, “The stride gets shorter and shorter year after year. It’s quite a task but I enjoy it.”
Williamson finished just shy of his winning mark in the same race last year (this made for a three-peat winning streak). The Dad Runs Boston Marathon to Honor Slain Children was a sprinter in high school and college and ran in the Army, too, so while he said in a 2023 interview with FloTrack Like the Wind Magazine video of his race on Saturday shows impressive, practiced form. He’s practically cruising.
When asked what keeps him coming back to running, Williamson said, “I enjoy the competition. I enjoy getting in shape and staying in [the] shape to do it.”
The 2024 Penn Relays master’s men’s 100-meter dash and 4x100-meter events for the 70+ age cohort produced some smoking fast times as well, with Michael Kish speeding to victory in 13.32 in the individual race and anchoring his Houston Elite team to a 59.44 relay win.
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, College Club Merges Running and Chess, DAA Industry Opt Out, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
