Baby Harmony inspires Alby's age-defying marathon run

The health struggles of a little girl named Harmony have inspired long distance runner Alby Clarke to tackle a 60 kilometre run from Warrnambool to Port Fairy.

Birthday celebrations for most 81-year-olds usually involve a cake, a meal and maybe a celebratory drink - but not for Albert 'Alby' Clarke.

The ultra-distance octogenarian marked his special day with a run for a very special cause - the health of a little girl named Harmony.

For most, it'd be the athletic feat-of-a-lifetime, but every day Clarke clocks a 10, 20 or 30 kilometre run, all in the name of health.

“As long as you're doing exercise, you gotta keep movin’ all the time not sitting around drinking and smoking and all that caper,” he said.

When considering his next ultra-distance exploit, Clarke looked no further than the local Warrnambool newspaper and an article about a local infant named Harmony’s battle with a life-threatening medical condition. 

“She broke my heart - I can't talk about her,” an emotional Clarke said.

He dedicated the 60-kilometre birthday run, from Warrnambool to Port Fairy in Victoria's south west, to little Harmony, and raised almost $1000 for Ronald McDonald House in the process.

Harmony’s overwhelmed mother Erin Hurley said she had seen the eccentric blue-haired runner pounding Warrnambool’s pavements from a distance, but never imagined their paths would cross in such a profound manner.

“He doesn't even know us and [we've] just been incredibly moved by that and humbled by that,” she said.

Clarke’s understated response epitomises his attitude – at least for the past 20 or so years.

“You only got one life you want to make the most of it.”

But it hasn't always been the case. In his 60s, Clarke said he was a heavy drinker and was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes.

In a bid to exercise his way out of the personal health crisis, Clarke developed an obsession and it led to remarkable athletic achievements including a 3000 kilometre bike ride across the Nullarbor, a Melbourne to Warrnambool road-race and even an Australia Day honour.

Before he hit the road he turned and looked down the barrel of a friend's camera: “Be home before the sun sets,” he said.

He promptly hit the road along with son Ty and headed into the distance.