Framingham runner does not let age stop him

By Janice Berte, Contributing Writer

Bob Tomassini, a life-long resident of Framingham, is 78 years old. A U.S. Army veteran, he stands 5’7” and is 135 lbs. He also runs faster in road races than many of those who are in their 20s, 30s, 40s or even 50s.

Born and raised in Framingham, Tomassini’s passion for running started 39 years ago when at 190 lbs., his doctor told him he needed to lose weight or he was going to run into major health problems.

Tomassini took immediate action and started to run. It wasn’t easy at first especially with all that additional weight on his body. But eventually the weight came off and he started competing in road races.

He trains six times per week, two times per day, once at 11 a.m. and then again at 4 p.m. logging in around 40 miles every week. One of his mantras that he swears by is: “It’s better to be undertrained than over-trained.”  He feels most athletes nowadays are over-trained and that can lead to injuries.

He is also an advocate of resting and stretching before his long runs and eating a balanced diet.

Some of his best racing times include a five-mile run completed in 28:40, and the Newport Marathon, which he completed in 2:55 at the age of 45. At 77 years old, he completed a race in Framingham, coming in ninth overall out of 168 runners.

He attributes his terrific running times in part to his earlier days playing hockey as a young child on Framingham’s Gleason’s Pond which helped to strengthen his legs. He also loves the varied weather and that includes the snowy and cold winter temperatures that we New Englanders endure every year.

Tomassini retired in 1993 as an engineering electrician and loves to write poetry, sing German songs, and is an ardent reader.

He has met and raced with many running icons from Massachusetts, but one of his favorites is former Olympian and world-class runner and coach, Alberto Salazar, who originally hails from Wayland.

As he turns 78 this year, Tomassini hopes to continue running, inspiring others as he has done so many times before.