Coach’s Corner: The Tireless Runner

By:  Amy Begley-Coach, Atlanta Track Club

Runners are often energetic, lively people, but there are some who take it to a whole new level. Bob Wells is one of them.

Bob’s running journey began during a time of transition in his life. He had just kicked a 20-year smoking addiction and was hoping to save his marriage as well as lose a little weight. Bob started off slow and hasn’t stopped ever since! He went from a beginner to someone who consistently logs about 35 miles per week.

After becoming an Atlanta Track Club member 10 years ago, Bob became more and more passionate about the organization. In addition to running races, he volunteer coaches for the youth running program, Kilometer Kids, and has been both a participant and volunteer run leader for Atlanta Track Club’s training programs. “Running has been such a wonderful gift to me, a life saver, really,” says Bob. “I can think of no better way to give back than by sharing the gift with others.”

This year Bob ran the Boston Marathon on behalf of Kilometer Kids. He had “zero plans” to run a marathon this year until he came upon the charity runner opportunity. He completed a training program leading up to the race and finished strong in 3:52:17 while raising thousands of dollars for the program. “Every moment and stride was magical, just magical,” Bob recalls. He plans to return to Boston – next year as a volunteer, then qualify for and participate in the 2017 event.

Bob is truly a community-minded runner who doesn’t ever seem to run out of energy. While he works hard towards his own goals, he motivates others and is the first to pitch in wherever he is needed, always with a smile on his face. Running can seem like a solo sport, but people like Bob remind us all that thinking like a team player can go a long way towards encouraging others to commit to an active lifestyle.