Stobbs
WHEELING – Wheeling resident Hugh N. Stobbs Jr. died Tuesday at the age of 85, leaving an indelible footprint in his beloved community.
Stobbs was best known for establishing the road race phenomena in the Ohio Valley in 1977 with the birth of the Elby’s Distance Race in downtown Wheeling. His personal passion for running distance races spilled into the community, allowing the annual Memorial Day weekend race to bring hundreds of top notch and local racers and even more spectators to the Friendly City.
Later he would renew his love of road races by establishing the Lois Stobbs Veterans 10K Run and Walk, held each November since the death of his wife Lois in 2014. Also a staunch supporter of veterans, Stobbs dedicated funds from the race to America’s paralyzed veterans.