Tony DaPonte tells a great story. 

His latest — the one about the race he ran at the Indoor Track Masters Division New England Championships — does not disappoint. 

Tony, who turned 84 last week, had just run a self-proclaimed "horrible" 400-meter race. He broke from the line quickly, and ran a blistering first lap. Too blistering. The pace was too fast, and the Warren resident finished with a less than stellar time. 

Sitting at a table inside the Coffee Depot restaurant in early February, Tony recalled how he finished 8 seconds — a significant duration in terms of the 400-meter race — behind the next runner, an 83-year-old man from Schnectady, NY named Chris Rush. 

Tony leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes and grimaced a bit, recalling how he felt following the 400. 

He then flashed a quick smile as he remembered preparing to run the 200-meter race, and how he had been assigned the inside lane. Mr. Rush filled the lane next to him, Tony said.

With his fingers pressed against the table's surface, Tony showed how Mr. Rush was given a staggered advantage at the start. Tony drew an oval with his fingers, showing how he closed the gap against his competitor and then powered past him. 

Tony finished the race with a time of 43.02 seconds.

Mr. Rush crossed the line at 43.04.

Tony was rewarded with a silver medal; a fast-footed 81-year-old clocked the fastest time in the event, but that does not matter so much. What mattered was the accomplishment of rebounding from the poor showing in the 400… and the look on Mr. Rush's face as he realized Tony had saved his best for last.

"I felt so happy," Tony said. 

That race, and the others that preceded it, hold a special place in Tony's life. 

Running, he said, is crucially important to him, and has been a part of his life for decades. He ran during his days as a student at LaSalle Academy, and he was a member of the cross country team at Providence College after that. 

Daily jogs fill his early mornings still, and on Mondays and Wednesdays he travels to Brown University before 6 a.m. to run the indoor track with a group of people. He has enjoyed competing in the masters division, but he's not sure if he will register for another race.

"I want to remember this race," Tony said, "for the rest of my life."

Running has also helped Tony in his ongoing battle with depression. 

"My weakness, my human weakness, has always been depression," he said. 

Tony said he has tried numerous ways to combat the depression, but none has had the desired effect. Running, however, has worked for him. He has also leaned heavily on his faith.

"The race that counts is this," he said, sliding a card across the table at the coffee shop. 

Written on the back of the card is a verse from the bible: "Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called." 

Tony's faith was tested about a year ago, when his wife Carol passed away. Tony and Carol were married for 59 years, but Tony said he knew her for a lot longer than that. He said he used to deliver the newspaper to her house when they were still kids — they only lived a short distance apart. 

When asked if Carol was a runner too, Tony laughed a bit.

"No, she was not a runner," he said. "I don't think she even had sneakers."

For the last year of her life, Carol was stricken with dementia. Tony said she was non-verbal. The woman who had shared so many conversations with him over the years could no longer utter a single word to him.

It was difficult time, but Tony said Carol enjoyed the routine of visiting the Coffee Depot each morning. Tony said he would bathe his wife, and dress her and then take her out for coffee and breakfast. He said she seemed better during those trips to the Depot. 

The day they buried Carol, Tony could not help but feel a measure of joy for his wife. Her body was gone, he said, and that was sad, but her spirit was still alive and well. These days Tony will drive by Carol's gravesite at St. Mary's cemetery on Vernon Street, and whisper to Carol to make room for him. 

"My legacy," said Tony, "is my faith and my family."

Kids, try track

Tony DaPonte has some advice for young people: Try track. For years, Mr. DaPonte helped organize a 5K road race in Warren and he also shares coaching duties for the Kickemuit Middle School track team. His experience has been so positive that he continues to encourage young people to get involved in running. "Just try it," Mr. DaPonte said. Mr. DaPonte turned 84 years old on Feb. 11 and continues to run each week.