Tom's incredible feet

89-year-old Tom has been active all his life.

“I’ve always enjoyed running and hill walking,” he says. “I did my first ever fell run in Hong Kong in 1963, and that was quite fun. In the 1970s I was a guide for ramblers and led trips in the Alps, and then I ran my own walking holiday business for 21 years, organising trips around Britain.”

Then in 2004, at the age of 67, Tom decided to take on his first marathon. He’s since run around 25 more. And while Tom stopped doing marathons four years ago, he still runs regular half marathons – most recently in Reading and Basingstoke - and has just completed his 500th parkrun.

“Once people realise I'm still running at 89, they treat me as an inspiration,” Tom continues. “ I’m slightly embarrassed by it, but it does please me that they think, ‘I hope I can still be running at your age’.”

Tom used his marathons to raise money for Age UK, and is also a volunteer befriender for his local Age UK – Age UK Berkshire.

Why did you choose to do your first marathon?

“I had done two or three Reading half marathons. One year, I particularly wanted to get in under two hours. It was the first time they'd ever chip timed it, and when the results came out, I'd done it in one hour, 59 minutes, 59 seconds. After that, we went up to London to watch the marathon, and I thought, ‘This is really rather exciting. I like the atmosphere – I want to have a go’. So, I applied – I think it might have been in the ballot, because in those days it wasn't so difficult to get in. That was in 2004, when I was 67.”

How does it feel to run a marathon?

“The atmosphere at the London Marathon is just out of this world. You've got a million people cheering you on and you have your name written on the front of your T-shirt in large block capital letters. Just at the point where you think, ‘oh, I could give up’, they yell out your name and on you go.

“The big thing about achieving something like that is that you just feel so happy for several weeks afterwards. I can't describe it, but walking back to the coach after London, there's all these people looking at your medal hanging around your neck and they all give you the thumbs up and you just feel you love the whole world.”

How many marathons have you done in total?

“I’ve done about 25 marathons, but it's difficult to be precise because a couple were virtual marathons, and I've forgotten which was which. I've done 17 Londons. I've done several marathons abroad too. The D-Day Normandy landings marathon was great fun. And I’ve done Tokyo after winning a prize, which I won just for using my credit card. We also did the Swiss Alpine Marathon. I was about 75 at the time, I think. There was an over 70s prize, but I was beaten into second place by a Swiss chap.”

“My last marathon was in 2021, when I was 85, and there was a message in there from my body saying this is your lot, mister. I was actually the only person on the Run Britain rankings that year to have run the marathon in the 85 to 89 category. So then I decided it was just a bit too much and I now limit myself to half marathons.”

What made you choose to support Age UK?

“I’ve seen that loneliness is definitely an issue in our society.  Some older people, like one of my neighbours, who I think is 93, has a constant stream of friends visiting and she's out and about and enjoying herself, so she's not lonely. But others are lonely - if they are on their own or in a care home where there's nobody to talk to for one reason or another.

“For example, my mother-in-law, who died in April, was in a care home for seven years, where there really wasn't anybody she could have a sensible conversation with. It seems to be that you just need somebody who you can talk to, not just somebody that's there.”

Would you encourage others to be physically active? 

“Absolutely. I've got several friends that I've encouraged to run. I’ve said, ‘Well, why don't you have a go at the parkrun?’ The parkrun is an amazing thing. You can walk around it when you start. It's done more for the health of non-runners in the UK than just about anything else, I think. One of my friends who comes running with us on our Monday morning run round the park started because I encouraged her.

“Quite often you'll hear people in their 50s saying their knees wouldn't let them run. But the idea that my knees don't creak and groan is ridiculous. You just have to get on with it. The worst thing you can do is sit still in an armchair all day – then you really do seize up. And I do Pilates as well, and I encourage people to do that. Don't do it if you don't enjoy it, of course. But running and hill walking as well, you just feel happy when you've done it. I've never been out for a run and not got back happier than I would have been if I had decided not to go because it was raining or something.”

And apparently Age UK has opened some doors for you...?

“Yes! Thanks to my fundraising efforts, I got invited to Clarence House, and I met the King, who was the Prince of Wales at the time. The photographer took a photograph of me and him and it just looks like we're old friends, talking to one another – I didn't even see the photographer. So I was rather pleased with that. The photo is hanging up in my lounge.”