At the 2008 Penn Relays, Sinclair Community College student Tom Johnson was out practicing when he spotted comedian Bill Cosby. Johnson approached Cosby and said the artist granted him a picture, but also gave some useful advice about practicing so close to the start of his race.
“Cosby told me to go someplace and sit down otherwise I wouldn’t have anything left when the race came,” Johnson said. “I took his advice and won.”
That win gave Johnson, 69, one of three gold medals he’s earned at the Penn Relays. The Penn Relays are the oldest and largest track and field event held in the United States, hosted annually at the University of Pennsylvania. This year’s Penn Relays, April 21-23, featured the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt and set an all-time attendance record by drawing 117,346 fans over three days. Johnson competed in the Masters Men’s 4×100 60 and older and the Master Men’s 100m dash 65 and older.
“I was the defending champion (of the Masters Men’s 100m dash 65 and older) the past two years,” Johnson said. “However a young man who just turned 65 smoked me along with two other fellows.”
Johnson bounced back by winning the Masters Men’s 4×100 60 and older, along with teammates Lloyd Hathcock, Norman Thomas and Allen Huff with a time of 4:37.10. Hathcock and Huff are also Sinclair students and Johnson said the relay win meant more to him because of all the training he and his teammates put into that race. Johnson said training for the event totaled four months and featured cycling and tennis classes at Sinclair.
“Running a relay, no one person can win it unless you are Usain Bolt,” Johnson said. “It takes teamwork.”
Johnson said he missed Bolt’s dominating performance the last day of the Penn Relays because he was traveling back to Dayton where he preaches at Summit Christian Church. Johnson said he finds inspiration for racing in his faith, exemplified by scripture found in Hebrews 12:1-2.
“Since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out before us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our fate.”