Keep on running - at 74

Joanna Davies | 26th November 2009

He thought he'd try running a marathon, to see if he could. Thirty years on, Gordon Jackson is still going, reports Joanna Davies.

Every morning, Gordon Jackson puts on his YMCA running gear and his trainers, and runs 15km from New Lynn to the Waitakere Ranges and back.

He is 74 years old.

"I've become a regular fixture on Titirangi Rd,'' says Mr Jackson. "Bus drivers and people in their cars beep and wave at me.''

Mr Jackson is a marathon runner, and the 15km a day is part of his training. He competes in at least one 42km race each year, something he has done for 30 years.

"The first marathon I did was going to be the only one, just to see if I could do it. The first one was a big shock. I used to be a footballer so I thought I wouldn't need to do a lot of training, but you get to 32km and it gets very tough.''

He's not sure why he continued running after that. "I just kept going. Living a healthy lifestyle and keeping fit just makes life easier.''

He's been an Auckland marathon community fixture since then. Mr Jackson has run in the colours of the YMCA Marathon Club for 28 years and still runs with his YMCA team every Sunday morning. He's competed in the Auckland Marathon so many times that 49 is his permanent entry number.

But Mr Jackson is modest about his achievements, especially when it comes to his age. "You're only as old as you feel. Age doesn't come into it at all.

"If you want to complete a marathon or compete in it, you have to put in the training. Anyone can do it.''

Mr Jackson says he didn't run in this year's marathon because he hadn't put in enough training time, but he still went along to encourage members of his team.

"I waited for one runner before the last 8km, because those last 8km are always the hardest. I ran with her and we walked for a bit, just to help her get to the end.''

Mr Jackson is a finalist in the Unitec Sporting Excellence Awards, after YMCA Marathon Club president Andy Harper nominated him.

"He's been a pack leader for over 20 years, and he guides about 10 others with their training.

"He's been running marathons for so long, but he's only ever competed in the Auckland Marathon and the one in Rotorua, and that is because of his commitment to his pack's training and helping them meet their goals,'' says Mr Harper, who adds that Mr Jackson is modest about his achievements.

"He usually comes first, second or third in his age group, but he wouldn't tell you that. There isn't anyone else that I can think of who has done more for the sport.''

Unitec Sporting Excellence Awards will be announced tomorrow, November 27, at Trusts Stadium. Tickets $80 from Sport Waitakere. Details, ph 966 3120.