We all know that running is good for us. However, many of us – whether due to fear of injury or lack of self-belief – might not feel confident giving it a go and struggle to stay motivated if we do.
That said, plenty of inspiring runners are tearing up the pavement well into their 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond. One such person is 74-year-old Sue Ablett who, alongside organising the Evesham Festival of Words and working as a Rest Less Events host, continues to complete races and inspire fledgling runners.
We sat down with Sue to hear about her running journey and get her tips on staying active in later life – whether you want to complete a marathon or just start jogging a few times a week.
“I’ll never forget that he was willing to forgo his time to help me get round”
Sue might have been a sporty child, but she didn’t catch the running bug until her 30s. In her youth, she was always inspired by the older generations who took part in the London Marathon. This included Madge Sharples, the oldest person to run the first London Marathon in 1981 at 64, who went on to complete 49 other races. So, eventually, Sue decided to have a go for herself.
“I ran around the block at six in the morning because I didn’t want anyone to see me,” Sue recalls. “And I went at it as if I was running for a bus. It was a sprint and I half killed myself. I got back – red-faced and sweating buckets – and I thought, actually, I don’t think I can do this.”
Sue and two running mates at the Evesham 10K
Despite her rocky start, Sue went out the next day and took things more slowly – and again the day after. Before long, she joined a running club that had just started near her home in Evesham.
“I joined with a lot of trepidation,” Sue says. “But they were so welcoming and encouraging. I was a member for quite some time. I did a few races and found that I was actually quite good.”
After a few years of regular running, Sue decided she was ready for her first marathon. However, because of the running group’s supportive network, she didn’t have to tackle it alone.
Sue explains, “The leader of the club had done lots of marathons before. He said to me, ‘If you’re running a marathon, I’ll run it with you all the way. We’ll do it and we won’t worry about what time we get.’
“He was brilliant; he just talked to me and stuffed me full of Mars Bars (which are not easy to eat while you’re running). I’ll never forget that he was willing to forgo his time to help me get round.”
“The ability to run, and still run, despite the years, is such a positive thing”
Since that first marathon, Sue has run many more races – including the London Marathon twice to mark her 60th and 65th birthdays. Nowadays, she mainly runs half marathons and 10ks – including the Run Leicester Half Marathon, which she completed on October 13th. Speaking about what keeps her motivated, Sue says…
“I just love being out in the fresh air. I’m an outdoor person. It can’t be good for you to sit indoors all the time. I look at the birds and the scenery. I have friends who run because they think they should and it would be good for them, but I get very twitchy if I can’t.
“The other day, I was running around one of the villages and this huge bird came overhead. I’ve been a bird watcher in my time and I thought, what is that? And it was an osprey. I’ve never seen one before and it gave me such a thrill!”
London Marathon Finisher
Aside from a chance to be outside and connect with nature, Sue credits her running habit with various other benefits – including her optimistic demeanour.
“I reckon it’s kept me pretty fit, and I think I’m a very positive person,” she says. “It’s nice to take part in a race because there’s that camaraderie, but I just love running for myself. It does me good and clears my head, which is always good because, while I might be retired, I still do lots of other things, like running a literary festival. Just the ability to run, and still run, despite the years, is such a positive thing.”
“The one thing I was just desperate to do the minute I got the go-ahead was run”
Despite the many benefits running brings to Sue’s life, her journey hasn’t always been easy. For starters, a car accident in the late 90s, alongside other factors, meant she stopped running for 10 years. However, when her mother was admitted to intensive care 17 years ago, Sue turned back to running as a way to maintain her physical and mental health.
She says, “I thought, I need fresh air. I need to do something other than sit by a hospital bed. So I used to run around the hospital car park.”
And, at the beginning of this year, while training for the Leicester Half Marathon, Sue was diagnosed with kidney stones, which prevented her from running for four months.
She says, “I had three operations in three months. Being cooped up indoors, going in and out of hospitals all the time, it was fairly miserable. As I said, I’m a cheerful, positive person, but it’s a shock to suddenly find yourself really quite ill. The one thing I was just desperate to do the minute I got the go-ahead was run.”
On top of this, Sue had to contend with a shoulder injury she’d sustained from a fall two months before the race. Yet, despite the hurdles, she continued with her training and made it to the start line on October 13th.
She says, “I was running it with one of the girls in our club. She’s 20 years younger than me and hadn’t done a half for 10 years, so we trained as much as we could. We put no time pressure on ourselves, and we were actually a bit quicker than we thought we might be. We had a dream run – it was lovely.”
As icing on the cake, a few weeks after the race, Sue was thrilled to learn that she was the first female in the 70 and over category, which means she qualifies for free entry next year.
“Encouraging others gives me a real sense of value”
Sue at the start of the Leicester Half Marathon with members of her running group
Aside from running races and keeping up with her ‘sacred’ routine of three runs a week, Sue’s passionate about helping others start (and stick to) running. One way she’s doing this is by becoming a run leader for the Scraptoft Joggers Running Club in Leicester, where she guides beginners through regular jogs.
“Encouraging others gives me a real sense of value,” Sue says. “It’s just so rewarding.”
For total newbies, Sue recommends the Couch to 5k program. This NHS-approved nine-week plan was developed by runner Josh Clark to help his 50-something mother get active. Beginning with a mix of running and walking, it gradually improves your fitness until you can run five kilometres or 30 minutes without stopping.
“Build up very gradually and try not to get carried away,” Sue tells us. “If you feel it’s going really well, the tendency is to push yourself extra hard – but then you might get injured, which is demoralising. I say to beginner runners that it won’t always be a positive step forward. There will be glitches. You might get a cold, which means you can’t run particularly well. You just have to accept that and ease back a bit.”
And, if you decide you want to take part in a race, Sue says to keep taking things slowly. While many online plans claim they can get beginners race fit in three or four months, Sue believes this is unrealistic – especially for older adults wanting to run longer distances like half marathons. Instead, she recommends giving yourself a full year to prepare.
“And choose your route wisely. If you’re doing a distance for the first time, why have one that’s got hills if you can find a flat one?” Sue explains. “Good shoes are also absolutely key. They say you should change them about every 500 miles, once you feel they’re not giving you so much bounce.
“But you get to the point where you have favourite running shoes – they’re like slippers – so I have half a dozen pairs and I alternate between them. That way, you don’t wear a single pair out too quickly and you’re not left saying, ‘Oh my God, my favourite running shoes are no good anymore.’”
“If there are setbacks, I can’t let them stop me”
Looking forward, Sue shows no signs of slowing down. She says, “I have a dog who’s nine and a half now, but he’s as fit and active as me. People think he’s about three or four. So walking twice a day is non-negotiable. I’d love to still be running when I’m 80 – why wouldn’t I? It’s just a question of not overdoing it.
“I shall certainly do Leicester Half again next year. A friend tells me I’ve got to wear a T-shirt that says: ‘75 and still running’ – and maybe I will.
“I think I’ve learned over the years that, if there are setbacks, I can’t let them stop me. It might be hard to start again but I’ve learned, particularly this year, that I can come back pretty quickly. So keep doing all I do is the message and keep inspiring others.”
To hear more from Sue, why not tune in to one of her talks on Rest Less Events? Or check out her travel articles on our main website.
Are you inspired by Sue’s story? Or are you still running in later life? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.