Back to Running

Another word or two about running (though I suppose that this weekend it should be about tennis!)

Running and Age

Running is one of the most effective ways of increasing and then maintaining high levels of physical fitness. It is also the most effective of all exercises for prolonging healthspan and lifespan. It is cheap, convenient and, because it is relatively intense exercise, it requires the least investment of time. It is astonishing that it is not taken up by everyone!

Sadly, the number of old runners is vanishingly small – which I notice particularly when I enter road races. I am now over 80 and when I enter such races I nearly always win my age-bracket –  but I am also usually the last because I’m the only one!

I have always assumed that the pattern of age influence on running is the same as that for most exercise – a slow decline in its use from early twenties to around retirement age with a steep decline thereafter. However this may be wrong. After the recent Lordshill 10k (in which I was surprised and pleased to be second to last) I analysed the ages of the competitors.  I found a straight line decline in numbers from the age of 18 up until the projected plot hit the baseline (zero) at exactly 80+. I am now looking at this statistic in a much larger group, starting with all the Hampshire Road Race League races for the last season.

parkrun

The first parkrun (small p), initially named Bushy Park Time Trial,  was organised by Paul Sinton-Hewitt CBE in Bushy Park in 2004 – and it continued as an annual event at Bushy for a few years before being taken up by other venues around the country with events in Wimbledon, Richmond, Banstead, Leeds, and Brighton. The event spread to other parks and nowadays there are few suitable UK venues which do not have a Saturday morning parkrun.  It has also grown into an international phenomenon with over nine million registered participants. 

parkrun is known for its welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, encouraging people of all ages and abilities to participate. It emphasizes community, with walkers, runners, and volunteers all welcome. It has been the stimulus to stir many non-runners to join the sport and currently there are over 3 million participants in the UK and over 10 million worldwide. A junior version, on Sunday mornings, has been introduced for children  aged 4 to 14. 

This week’s blog illustration is a photograph of Paul Sinton-Hewitt himself. His contribution  to the health of the nation is enormous – nothing less than a knighthood would do justice to the beneficial effects of his invention.

parkrun and Older Folk

The annual Octogenarian and Nonagenarian parkrun event at Bushy Park, which encourages those over 80 to participate, began in 2017. Initially organized by George Frogley and Richard Pitcairn-Knowles, it started with 16 participants and has grown each year. The event welcomes not just octogenarians and nonagenarians, but also younger participants who want to celebrate the spirit of parkrun and show that age is no barrier to staying active and connected.

This year the annual octogenarian/nonagenarian park run was held in Bushy Park on the 5th July. I and three venerable elderly friends took part and I am delighted to tell you that another 113 old people joined in. The first octogenarian managed a fantastic 24mins 17secs – several minutes faster than the average for the whole field, aged from 18 years up.

The NHS 10 year plan

The recently produced “NHS England 10 year plan” does mention exercise as one of the desirable factors for the future – but it then goes on to promote a commercial organisation – “The Great Run Company” – as a collaborator. What?!! I don’t know where Wes Streeting gets his ideas but he certainly needs a better informed adviser.

However we must grateful that the government is beginning to think about exercise as prevention in the national battle against a growing deluge of age-related disease. Running, and especially parkrun, should be part of the attack force.