Oldest parkrunner in the race

Browsing through the New Year edition of Parkrun, the global 5km event, I got immersed in an article by the man who invented barcode systems. His name is Derrick Brown and he’s 82, which is why the article caught my eye.

I also happen to be 82 and I’ve been doing parkruns almost since they started in 2004. I’m now up to 150-plus parkruns and I fully intend to knock off another 150. I don’t see why not either: I have no sore knees, hips or ankles. I’m just slower, that’s all.

Anyway, back to Mr. Brown. He joined the Parkrun movement, got hooked and has been doing it ever since. I say “movement” because it’s more than a race, as he says in so many words.

“I did my first parkrun at age 79 after being introduced to it by my wife. I thought that at 79 I was too old to start something like this but I find Parkrun to be extremely motivating and I’m sure that I wouldn’t be running otherwise.”

Every time Mr. Brown crosses the line, he’s reminded of one of his great life’s achievements: “I am quite tickled as I usually come in first in my age category, being the only one in it. I’m also quite proud every time I use my barcoded wristband, as I had the experience of introducing the barcode to the world some fifty years ago.”

That’s right, he invented the barcode (or the barcode systems)!

Like me, he’s almost always the oldest in his particular event and he’s usually first and last in his age group because he’s usually the only one in it.

Now, here’s the great thing about Parkruns. Unlike the occasional derisory remark yelled out the window of a passing car as you labour along the footpath during your weekly training runs, nobody ever says anything derogatory about older people during a parkrun. Quite the reverse, I am often asked my age and congratulated on the fact that I am still running. My wife, Margaret, is 70 and is aiming to get back under 30 minutes despite having been hospitalised for a week with a serious eye infection and, eight years ago, having a hip replaced.

Younger people sometimes ask for advice about training methods (I’ve coached a lot of athletes over the years), especially if you finish among them. And older people like to share memories of road races in which you have both competed.

Memory lane! It’s a heart-warming road.

The reason older people are treated with respect is because all runners share exactly the same experience – five kilometres of a shared route. It doesn’t have to be hard, but it’s never easy. And although the official Parkrun line is that it’s not competitive, it actually is. Most participants are chasing a good time, even a personal record. If they weren’t, they would be talking the whole way instead of running in complete silence, which is what happens after the opening few minutes.

It turns out that neither of us are the oldest parkrunner. I keep on discovering competitors (if you can call us all that) even older than Mr. Brown and me. In Melbourne a certain Colin Thorne has turned 100 and is still knocking off the 5kms.

Keep 'em coming!