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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Nearly 30 years ago, Eric Snyder quit smoking and decided he needed to do something to avoid gaining weight.</p><p>So Snyder started running.</p><p>On Sunday, Snyder, now 71, finished the Wilkes-Barre Duathlon in 2 hours, 29 minutes. It wasn&#8217;t a record time, but he finished in great health and not overweight.</p><p>&#8220;I ran a 10K at Eagle Rock yesterday, so I&#8217;m a little tired today,&#8221; Snyder said after drinking some water and catching his breath at the finish line on Public Square.</p><p>Snyder said he enters about 30 to 40 races each year. He said he trains every day, running about three miles in the woods with his dog.</p><p>Snyder said he spent 28 years in the U.S. Air Force before teaching for 13 years in Florida. He said he smoked for 20 years before deciding to quit.</p><p>&#8220;I just decided to give it up,&#8221; Snyder said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve always been concerned about my health. I&#8217;ve had three battles with cancer too.&#8221;</p><p>Snyder said he probably won his age bracket in Sunday&#8217;s event.</p><p>&#8220;There&#8217;s probably nobody else here that&#8217;s my age,&#8221; he said. There wasn&#8217;t.</p><p>Snyder said he loves to run and his dog loves it more. He said at times he does feel a little guilty about his passion for running.</p><p>&#8220;Yeah, I feel guilty sometimes that I&#8217;m not doing something a bit more useful, like volunteering,&#8221; Snyder said. &#8220;But I really enjoy running and it keeps me in shape. Like I said, after I stopped smoking, I didn&#8217;t want to gain weight.&#8221;</p><p>Most of the participants in the duathlon had already completed the footrace/biking event before Snyder crossed the finish line. But that didn&#8217;t matter to Snyder.</p><p>&#8220;I knew I was going to finish,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Snyder said he doesn&#8217;t enter triathlons anymore because he&#8217;s unable to swim.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve had three shoulder surgeries,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Snyder, wearing No. 83 on his race bib, caught his breath, drank a little water, and then jogged off to get his bike and head home.</p><p>&#8220;See ya next time,&#8221; he said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Eric Snyder heads to the finish line at Sunday&#8217;s Wilkes-Barre Duathlon. Snyder, 71 of Sugarloaf, started running when he quit smoking almost 30 years ago. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_EricSnyder1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Eric Snyder heads to the finish line at Sunday&#8217;s Wilkes-Barre Duathlon. Snyder, 71 of Sugarloaf, started running when he quit smoking almost 30 years ago. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_EricSnyder2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Eric Snyder, 71 of Sugarloaf, smiles as he approaches the finish line in Sunday&#8217;s Wilkes-Barre Duathlon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_EricSnyder2-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Eric Snyder, 71 of Sugarloaf, smiles as he approaches the finish line in Sunday&#8217;s Wilkes-Barre Duathlon. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_EricSnyder3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Eric Snyder, 71 of Sugarloaf, cools down after finishing Sunday&#8217;s Wilkes-Barre Duathlon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_EricSnyder3-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Eric Snyder, 71 of Sugarloaf, cools down after finishing Sunday&#8217;s Wilkes-Barre Duathlon. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>Race winners</p><p>Kenny Quigley, of Dunmore, was the overall male winner of Sunday&#8217;s Wilkes-Barre Duathlon, finishing in 1:18:52.1. Kelly Adamshicik, of Dallas, was the over female winner, finsihing in 1:32:30.1</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

At 71, Eric Snyder shows he is still going strong in Wilkes-Barre Duathlon