At 71, this N.B. man has run over 40 marathons around the world. And he's not done yet

At 71, Bob Forbes isn't your typical marathon runner.

The Riverview, N.B., resident, who is a retired family physician, has completed more than 40 marathons, including 16 Boston Marathons. And he's not planning to stop any time soon.

He's raced in many countries and has a personal goal to run a marathon in every Canadian province. This October, he's heading to British Columbia for another race, which will leave just Saskatchewan and Manitoba remaining to complete his cross-country challenge.

"I won't rest until I've got them done, unless my body takes me down," Forbes told CBC News.

From 'slug' to Six Star medallist

Forbes's love for running began in 2006.

At the time, he said, he had stopped playing football — a sport he'd enjoyed for years — because his friends stopped playing. But he struggled to stay active and began gaining weight.

"I felt like a slug, and I got to do something active," he said. "So I thought, being of Scottish descent, I was conscious of the cost of some sports. I thought, well, I can just go running. Wouldn't cost much. I got sweatpants. I've got sneakers."

He started attending training programs through the Running Room, eventually enrolling in a marathon training course. He was preparing for his first marathon in Ottawa when he had a health scare.

"I did a training run in Halifax, Saturday morning, 8K, and that afternoon, I passed out on a crosswalk with a heart attack," he said.

"I shouldn't brag, shouldn't be too proud of myself, but I haven't flinched … since that heart attack, and I'm hoping that's the only one I'll have."

Two weeks after the incident, he slowly returned to running and eventually made it to the Ottawa race, though he completed a half-marathon instead of the full.

In 2007, he ran his first Boston Marathon and kept returning. Encouraged by other runners to try the world's major marathons, he later completed races in New York City, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago and London.

By doing so, he earned the exclusive Six Star Medal as part of the World Marathon Majors challenge. The Six Star Medal was introduced by the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2016 to recognize runners who complete six major races.

"I never, ever had any intention of running a marathon. That's for other people, but I drifted towards it, and I'm glad I did, and it worked out well."

Injury puts Boston streak on hold

Although Forbes qualified for the 2025 Boston Marathon, he wasn't able to run it this year.

While training for a marathon in Houston, Texas, earlier in the year, he pushed his limits too far, he said.

"I added a little bit to my training program that was more than my age and my training would allow. And I got injured, not surprisingly, and so I ran injured."

Despite the injury to his left foot, he still completed the race. After it healed, he returned to running, only to injure his other foot. Then came knee pain.

It was enough to make him pull out of the 2025 Boston Marathon, which would have marked his 12th consecutive race there.

"I don't like giving up the streak, but I'm grown up now, I have got to make some responsible decision that I shouldn't be there," he said.

He said he hopes to be sufficiently recovered to pace his daughter in a half-marathon in Fredericton in three weeks' time.