‘A rare breed’: At 90, this Arlington Heights runner is an ultramarathon man

It wasn’t until he retired from a long career as an electrical engineer at Motorola in Schaumburg that Gene Bruckert decided to put on his first pair of running shoes and hit the trails throughout Busse Woods.

That was 25 years ago.

“I decided to start running a little bit. And then I did a little bit more. And I did a little bit more. Before you knew it, I ran a half-marathon, and then I ran a marathon, and on and on it goes,” he said.

Now age 90, the Arlington Heights resident has completed some 300 marathons and another 300 ultramarathons — an endurance race that’s essentially anything longer than the 26.2-mile standard marathon distance, but oftentimes is as far as 50 kilometers, 50 miles or double that.

He was the sole nonagenarian to compete in — let alone finish — the Tunnel Hill 50-mile race Nov. 8 in downstate Vienna.

Now he’s training for his next event, a 24-hour endurance run over Thanksgiving weekend in Benton, Arkansas.

Layered in a hooded sweatshirt, light jacket and track pants, Bruckert was jogging up and down the sledding hill and trails of Arlington Heights’ Heritage Park this week. He laces up for a run in and around the neighborhood every day — sometimes for a quick 2.5 miles in the morning, or a longer 10 miles in the afternoon.

“I am a rare breed, and that’s because nobody’s just done it. Like Nike says, ‘Just Do It,’” he said. “Can somebody run a marathon? Well, maybe not right away. But I bet you, if you worked on it, almost anybody could run a marathon because it’s in the genes of the human person. This is what we did back in the good old days, 10,000 B.C. We did a lot of walking. And it’s not easy, but it’s absolutely doable for I’d say at least 80% of the population.”

Bruckert — a regular at ultramarathons across the country — is known not only for being the eldest of the pack, but also for his witty humor and determination to complete every race.

“Gene is a great guy, and everybody loves him,” said Steve Durbin, race director of the Tunnel Hill ultramarathon.

The rules of the race — held on a crushed gravel course that meanders through a small town, state park and old railroad tunnel about 15 miles north of the Kentucky state line — allow participants to finish in 30 hours.

For most of the competitors, that allows time for frequent rest breaks along the way — there are aid stations with food and water about every five miles — and even some shut-eye.

“They can go take a nap for a few hours and still have plenty of time to do what they came for. To finish is the number one goal,” Durbin said.

Walking with a trekking pole just after dawn, Bruckert crossed the finish line of the 50-mile event in 24 hours, 3 minutes and 34 seconds.

“I’m not a good runner. I’m just a plodder,” he joked. “I just piddle-paddled along and got the distance.”

Of the 680 people who came to the small Southern Illinois town to run, Bruckert was the oldest, followed by participants aged 82, 81 and 80. The youngest was 11.

In the 50-mile category Bruckert entered, awards were given by age group by the USA Track & Field organization.

“When I sent (the coordinator) the information on Gene, she’s like, ‘Whoa, I’ve never had 90.’ So she had to make a special little bib that they wear on their back,” Durbin said.

In his mid-60s, Bruckert was introduced to long-distance running events by a friend who suggested he try a half-marathon in the North suburbs. Someone there encouraged him to do his first full marathon in Green Bay.

But he eventually got frustrated when some marathons would be wrapping up, and he was still out on the course. That’s how he discovered the longer distance and timed ultras.

“I’m too slow for a marathon,” he said. “Most marathons, they want to be done in, say, five to seven hours. And I can’t do a marathon in seven hours.”

Besides the practicality of the longer races, Bruckert was drawn to the natural beauty of their settings — and the long drives to get there. His travels have taken him past herds of wild horses in Nevada, mountains in Montana and countless forests and lakes elsewhere.

“You go to one city and that’s pretty much it,” Bruckert said of where marathons are usually held. “But among trails, you can get some really beautiful vistas. Absolutely gorgeous.”

He used to run a marathon every weekend. Now, he tries to do an ultra every three to four weeks. He gets a bit of an ache or pain here or there, and his doctor has advised him to take it easy on the knees.

But Bruckert says he’s still happy to be out on the trails and at the back of the pack, where many others like to trot and socialize.

“For the most part, very few people are chasing the medal,” he said. “The accomplishment is to finish.”