Stephanie Armstrong is a 58 year old-old Gamilaraay woman with a clear goal. By her sixtieth birthday, she wants to have run a marathon to inspire other First Australians that age is no barrier to being fit.
As a health and education worker, Stephanie aspires to change the life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Stephanie has been training towards a marathon for almost nine years with a dozen half-marathons under her belt. These days, she’s running about 30 to 40 kilometres weekly.
To be fit enough for a marathon, she needs to build up her mileage to at least 80 kilometres a week.
Stephanie knows she needs longer recovery time after each race. She admits it can take up to a few weeks of being unwell with aches over her body.
Curtin University’s Professor Keith Hill is one of Australia’s leading falls prevention experts. With only one in 10 Australians over the age of fifty exercising sufficiently, Professor Hill strongly recommends improving your physical and cognitive wellbeing through exercise.
Professor Hill says marathons at any age are a fairly extreme form of exercise, though it doesn't mean that it can’t be undertaken later in life.
Stephanie’s trainer, Sophie Hawken, works at Bendigo’s 3T Fitness and was a former athlete. For general gym-goers, Hawken suggests consistent strength training and conditioning for up to three years before starting a marathon.
Poster boy Fauja Singh, when he replaced David Beckham as the face of Adidas Source: Supplied
65-year-old retiree Andy Steele has just completed the Unogwaja Challenge and the Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa - one of the world’s toughest races. He biked 1700 kilometres in 10 days and then ran 89 kilometres in just 12 hours on the eleventh day.
Who would’ve thought that Andy’s love of running marathons was once put on hold due to chronic back pain? After a successful back surgery in his forties, Andy has continued to compete in dozens of marathons and ultramarathons around the world.
Andy has built ongoing inner strength and confidence from running countless marathon and ultramarathon races over the past 32 years. He now also runs for a cause. He ran the Chicago Marathon last year to fundraise for the homeless and help those with addiction problems get back on their feet.
Dr La Gerche says people doing very little exercise are more likely to have a heart attack than those in their 50s who are training for a marathon. You still need to look out for warning signs to avoid pushing your body past its limits.
One of the world’s oldest marathon runners is Britain’s Fauja Singh. Age doesn’t stop him from running even at age 107. However, Sophie Hawken acknowledges the intensity of a marathon isn’t suitable for everyone.
