LATE STARTERS

The benefits of taking up running in later life far outweigh the potential pitfalls

- Rob Kemp

He average age of participants in running events is on the rise. Several studies examining marathon entry data from around the globe have found that the over forties age group is among the fastest growing worldwide.

In most European running events, more than a third of competitors tick the 40-49 age group box. A recent Running USA study also noted big jumps in the proportion of 55+ runners taking part in half and full marathons. In South Korea the most popular age group category for marathon entrants is 50 to 59 (35.93%).

Across the board there are growing numbers of runners signing up to events in their sixties, seventies and eighties. Taking up running in later life doesn't necessarily mean you're playing catch-up in the health stakes either. Studies show that competitive athletes in their sixties, seventies and eighties and even nineties tend to have more and healthier muscle mass, stronger hearts and much less body fat than non-athletes of the same age.

"I'd done a bit of running when I was younger but it was when I hit 50, in 2018, that my wife suggested I join a running club and I haven't looked back since," says Dave Harding, 56, a postman from Westcliff-on-Sea. For Harding, the solitude of being a regular runner had been one of the reasons he'd steered clear of it in later life. That was until a chance to try out with his local club proved to be a transformative moment. "Because I'd never been consistent with my running, I'd never really stuck at it. But the club - Leigh-on-Sea striders - proved to be a great motivator."

"It's been great having others to talk to about running-especially things I wasn't sure about. Sometimes I chat with people half my age who know so much about techniques and training. It's been a real learning curve." It's also been a catalyst for Harding to take on longer distance challenges and he's certainly not alone in running seriously later in life.