‘There are too many octogenarians at the parkrun!’ is not a complaint you hear often. But it’s an issue faced at the 5 July edition in Bushy Park, west London, where 117 over-80 runners gathered for the annual get-together of Britain’s most senior parkrunners, and the organisers had only made 100 cupcakes.
When George Frogley and Richard Pitcairn-Knowles first thought to bring the octogenarians and nonagenarians together at parkrun in 2016, 15 runners showed up. Last year there were 72. According to Sport England’s latest Active Lives survey, the percentage of over-75s meeting NHS exercise guidelines of at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week is now 42.8%, a rise of almost 10% since the organisation first began gathering data in 2016.
Many of the over-80s here are doing much more than that, as evidenced by some remarkable 5K times and a few life stories that involve medals at international athletics competitions and masters-level records. Here’s a snapshot of four such remarkable runners.
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HUGH BETHELL
Age: 83
Finish time: 29:44
Hugh Bethell has an unusual problem when he competes in the Hampshire Road Race League with the club that he founded, Alton Runners: ‘I win all of my races, but at the same time, I always come last.’ The former doctor is usually the only octogenarian at these events, but if he had his way, that wouldn’t be the case. ‘Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke – they’re all preventable if you’re physically fit. If we got a higher percentage of the population taking exercise in later life, we could empty all the old people’s homes!’
ELAINE STATHAM
Age: 81
Finish time: 32:20
Elain Statham’s running accomplishments include 10 sub-3-hour marathons, nine world records and nine British records in Masters age categories, set between the ages of 45 and 60. Does she feel any disappointment that she’s no longer as fast as she was? ‘What keeps me going is moving the goal posts,’ she says. ‘I’ve kept moving from one thing to another. Every five years you can set PBs in a new age category.’
PAULINE RICH
Age: 80
Finish time: 35:15
Like many runners of her generation, Pauline Rich was inspired to take up the sport after watching the first London Marathon on television in 1981. She took part in the second event, coming through the finish in just under four hours wearing Hi-Tec Silver Shadows.
Now based on the south coast and representing Run Academy Worthing, she is newly 80 so this was her first attempt at the octogenarians parkrun. She was third woman and might have been faster if she wasn’t still recovering from a broken leg, sustained two years earlier while doing drills on the track. ‘If I’m disappointed with my time I look on the Power of 10 website, click on “age graded” and usually think, “That’s not too bad.” It encourages you.’
MICK DUPLOCK
Age: 82
Finish time: 43:54
In the 1980s, Mick was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition that is genetic, and has also affected his mother, his uncles, two cousins and one of his daughters. ‘There’s lots of things I can’t do,’ he says. ‘I miss seeing my environment – but what I can still do is get out and run.’
