by Tim Kelly
As Bill Kehner completed his annual rite of summer, a strong finish in Sea Isle City’s Captain Bill Gallagher Island Run, the chant went up from his personal cheering section:
“Kehner!!! 40!!! Kehner!!! 40!!!” they yelled, as the slightly built competitor cruised into the finishers’ chute, arms upraised.
“Wait a minute…that guy’s older than 40!” a wise guy cracked.
Indeed, Kehner, of Pitman and a former summer resident of Ocean City and Sea Isle, is a few summers past 40. Twenty five of them to be exact. The “40” chant paid homage to Bill’s completion of four decades as a Sea Isle finisher, believed to be the longest streak of its kind.
Kehner’s first Island Run finish was in 1978 when it was a half marathon, and Jimmy Carter was president. Since then Kehner’s presence along the Sea Isle beach and Promenade course has become as familiar as a Friday night line to get into the Ocean Drive.
Saturday, under cloudy skies, oppressive humidity and strong headwinds for much of the race, he ran conservatively and still finished second in the 65-69 age group with a time of 1:36:32.
“By far, it’s my favorite race, it is one of a kind,” said Kehner, who also has completed 26 marathons including 14 Boston Marathons, four New York City Marathons and three Marine Corps Marathons. “At Sea Isle, the conditions can be brutal, yet it’s always a fun trip around the island. The fan support is unbelievable,” he said. “Somebody is always calling out your bib number…or trying to hand you a beer!”
Kehner’s 40-year streak parallels the history of the race. He has seen it grow from a small event involving just a few hundred diehard runners to the current mega event drawing well over 1,000 competitors and tens of thousands of fans.
(Sea Isle Beach Patrol Captain) Renny Steele has been directing the race longer than I’ve been running it,” Kehner said, “and each year the logistics become more complicated. Renny and his crew make it work as well as marathons with millions in corporate sponsorship dollars.”
Kehner’s longevity is just part of his Sea Isle legend. You would be hard-pressed to find a competitor with a more sustained period of excellence. His second-place age group hardware added to his collection of 27 Island Run trophies.
“The only word to describe it is dominance,” said longtime running buddy Ron Ferguson, after finishing Sea Isle a 35th time himself on Saturday. “Nobody has been that good for that long.”
Kehner, a maintenance worker at Rowan University, has won 10 age group championships, and once finished third overall. His personal best time of 54:25 would have won Saturday’s race by 16 seconds.
Kehner’s journey has evolved along with the event. A bachelor in his mid-20s when he ran his first Island Run, he has been married to his very supportive wife Diane for 31 years. His 30 year old son Collin has run the race four times including Saturday’s and his 29-year-old daughter Christine ran and finished her first to make the celebration of Bill’s 40th a true family affair.
So what does the future hold for the Island Run’s human fixture?
“Tomorrow’s promised to nobody but I’d like to keep going as long as I can,” he said.
Translation: check back with us in 2027 and don’t be surprised to see Bill Kehner celebrating his 50th trip across the finish line.
