Camden County couple lacing up for 18th race down Broad Street together

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Mary Ann Gurka and Bob Roth were both working in an Atlantic City casino when they first decided to roll the dice on running in 1991.

"We just one day said, 'Hey, let's give this a shot,'" says Roth. "And I started to love it."

"I was 40, pretty much, before I started running. Hadn't run a step before that," says Gurka.

They took a 10-year break, but got back in the race, so to speak, in 2017.

"When I retired, I joined a gym," she says.

Now, she does strength training classes three days a week at Pursuit Fitness and runs the other four days a week.

"Gradually 5ks became 10ks, became ten miles, became half marathons," says Roth. "And I just love the competition."

Both are members of the Mid-Atlantic USA Track and Field Association.

"The road circuit has 11 races on it and then I do some of the trail circuit," says Gurka.

Gurka is considered a national class runner in age-graded competition.

"The Pineland Striders is our running club," she says. "We try to run with them on Tuesday nights."

She says they enjoy it because "the people are just great."

In last year's Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run, she won first place for females aged 70 to 74.

"I was so thrilled," she says. "I ran an hour, 26 minutes and 40 some seconds."

"I call her 'the beast,' because almost every race she wins her age group," says Roth.

Roth has also earned his share of awards.

"First, second, third in my age group many times," he says. "It just makes me feel really good."

Though they work with the same running coach, they don't train together.

"Our programs are different, speed wise. It's similar how many miles we do," he says.

"He's a lot faster than me," says Gurka.

"We do motivate each other," says Roth.

Roth ran the Philadelphia Marathon last fall, qualifying to run the Boston Marathon in 2026.

"Just love being out there," he says. "I really love racing."

Coming up on Sunday, May 4, they'll both be running in this year's Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run.

"If you've done your job, you feel very spent afterwards, but then after you recover for a few minutes, now the joy," says Gurka. "You're like ecstatic, and that lasts for quite a while."

For more information on the 2025 Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run, visit BroadStreetRun.com.