'I ran my first marathon at 74 - this is why I believe it’s never too late to start'

At 82, Eileen Hieron is still lacing up her trainers, heading out into the Gloucestershire countryside and, until recently, lining up at the marathon start line. She didn’t grow up sporty. In fact, she didn’t join a running club until she was 72. But a decade on, she has completed almost 10 marathons, claimed first place in her age group at the London Marathon, and is gently proving that movement, not medals, is the real secret to ageing well.

“You’ve only got one chance,” she tells me. “Once that chance is gone, you’re not going to have another one.” It’s a simple philosophy, but it’s carried her across finish lines in pouring Welsh rain, through cross-country fields at 75, and into what she describes as the “biggest accolade of my life” – a gold medal presentation after placing first in the over-80s category in the London Marathon.

Eileen is redefining what later life looks like, and the message is consistent. Healthy ageing isn’t about punishing workouts or chasing personal bests. It’s about maintaining muscle, protecting your heart, nurturing friendships and, above all, finding joy in movement. Eileen’s story is a powerful reminder that it is never too late to start.

Don’t be afraid to join a running club

Eileen spent 60 years in nursing. First as a community nurse, then teaching health, and eventually running her own apprenticeship business for care assistants and childcare workers. Health promotion was woven through her entire career.

But it wasn’t until she retired in 2010 that running entered her life. One of her closest friends, 17 years her junior, was training for the London Marathon. “I hardly saw her,” Eileen laughs. “So I thought, well, I’ll join her and do a little bit of running.”

By 2014, aged 72, she had joined her local running club near Dursley in Gloucestershire. “I thought people might look at me and think, what’s she doing here? But nobody did. Nobody cared that I was 72.”

She began with 5Ks, and worked up to 10Ks. At her local Parkrun, she found herself winning the over-70s category – often because she was the only one in it. “It was hilarious,” she says. “I wasn’t winning because I was fast, I was winning because I turned up!”

That sense of belonging, rather than speed, kept her going. Her running club became social as much as physical.

Say yes to that big goal

Like many runners, Eileen initially hoped to get a place at the London Marathon. When she didn’t, she and her friend entered the Great Welsh Marathon instead in 2018.

“It was by the seaside. We thought it would be lovely,” she says. “But it rained so hard there wasn’t even a man walking his dog.” At points, they ran wearing black bin bags to stay warm.

Eileen finished her first marathon aged 74 - second from last. “I started to enjoy being last,” she says cheerfully. “You still get the medal, and you still get the support.”

In 2020, during the pandemic, she completed a virtual marathon with local encouragement lining her Gloucestershire route. Then, four years later, aged 80, she ran the London Marathon in 5 hours, 20 minutes (just an hour over the average finish time) – placing first in her age group.

Later that evening, the phone rang. Not only had she won her category, she had also placed first in an Abbott World Marathon Majors age-group competition within the race. Her medal arrived in a presentation box, engraved ‘First in the world’. “You can imagine my delight,” she says. “That was the biggest accolade of my life.”

How to adapt as you age

Now 82, Eileen has recently taken medical advice to lower her heart rate during training following minor heart issues. Instead of stopping, she has adjusted.

“I’m mostly walking at the moment, but fast walking,” she explains. She was hoping to run the London Landmarks Half Marathon this year. “I’ll still do the marathon locally here, but I’ll do it my way.”

This ability to adapt is key. Alongside running and walking, Eileen strength trains twice a week with a personal trainer to protect muscle mass, balance and flexibility. At home, she and her 89-year-old husband, John, who also runs and walks, have created a small garage gym with a treadmill and rowing machine.

“Most older people lose muscle,” she says. “You will lose some, whatever you do. But if you work at it, you can just about keep it looking quite good.”

Research consistently shows that maintaining muscle mass after 50 is critical for metabolic health, balance and independence. For Eileen, it’s less about aesthetics and more about staying capable. “I want to live fully as long as I can,” she says.

The runner's high is real

For Eileen, the mental benefits rival the physical ones. “If you’ve had a bad day, or you feel a bit low, going out for a walk or run definitely helps you to feel better,” she says. “It’s a joy. And it’s a luxury to have the time to do it.”

She is also a fan of Jeffing – a structured run-walk method developed by American coach Jeff Galloway. This workout alternates between running and walking. Eileen finds she can complete 10Ks at a similar pace to continuous running, but with less exhaustion. “You run, you rest, your heart rate recovers, and then you go again,” she explains. “I wouldn’t have been able to carry on as much as I have without that.”

At 150 Parkruns and counting, she now happily lines up with walkers as well as runners. “I’m still competitive in walking,” she smiles. “I love it.”

Make your own health rules

Occasionally, someone tells her she “shouldn’t be running at your age”. She shrugs it off. “I stand back and think, who’s making all these rules?”

John, who turns 90 this year, often joins her. Sometimes they cross the finish line together. Sometimes he edges ahead. Either way, movement remains a shared joy.

There are still relatively few women over 75 at the start line of most races. But Eileen hopes that will change. “It doesn’t matter how slow you are,” she says. “Just going is enough.”

Her message to women in their 50s, 60s and beyond? Start where you are. Walk if you need to. Build strength. Find friends to join you. Adapt when you must. And don’t wait for permission. After all, as Eileen puts it: “It’s about adding life to your years, not just years to your life.”

Eileen is raising money for the London Landmarks Half Marathon. For further information or to register interest, visit llhm.co.uk.