Eastern Ontario 80-year-old man celebrates birthday with half marathon
At 80-years-old, Bill Poole is breaking barriers after running his first half marathon.
Poole finished with a time of 2:49 in an informal race from Mallorytown Landing to downtown Brockville, Ont. on Saturday.
"Maybe less than a year ago, I just had a thought: 'I'd like to try a half marathon when I'm 80.' And Jordan, my son in law, said, 'I'll do it with you,'" Poole said.
Poole celebrated his birthday on Thursday, and wanted to cross this run off his bucket list.
He took up running when he was 65-years-old and started competing in the Canada 55+ Games – running 200 metre, 400 metre, 800 metre and 1500 metre races.
Poole was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2014, which held him from competing. But 10 years after his diagnosis, he was able to complete a half marathon, something he never envisioned at the time.
"Because I didn't do long distances, I'd never done it anywhere close to that before," he said.
Poole has a nonchalant attitude about his running, but his wife, Susan Poole, admires the dedication her husband has.
"He just wanted to do it," she explained with a laugh. "He's very determined, very determined, and a little stubborn."
Now that Poole has crossed the finish line, his next half marathon will be at an organised event in Regina, Sask. with his daughter in September.
"That'll probably be the last," he said with a smile.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The root cause': Canada outlines national action plan to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Prosecution rests in Donald Trump’s hush money case. The defence now gets its turn to call witnesses
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
Red Lobster probes 'endless shrimp' losses after bankruptcy filing
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
'Next man up': Canucks coach, teammates bracing for Game 7 without Brock Boeser
Questions about how the team is going to handle the absence of star winger Brock Boeser from a do-or-die game seven dominated pre-game interviews with the Vancouver Canucks coach and players Monday morning.
Katy Perry sings goodbye to 'American Idol'
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.