Sports · Running & Athletics · 2 days ago
Alison Booth, 65, wins her age group at the Gloucester Half Marathon
Alison Booth is a 65-year-old retired seamstress who lives in Cirencester.
She started running with the Couch to 5K programme in her 50s, at first feeling self-conscious about being seen.
She joined the Running Somewhere Else club at the beginning of last year and says its training sessions helped her enter races.
In March, she completed the Gloucester Half Marathon in under two hours and later learned she had won her age category.
Her friend Claire encouraged her to keep going when Booth wanted to stop near the end.
Booth took up running partly because her parents had osteoporosis and heart disease, and she wanted stronger bones and a stronger heart.
She says running is now fun as well as a way to support her health, and that age-grading helps her keep competing as runners slow down with age.
Alison Booth, 65, won her age category at the Gloucester Half Marathon in March.
She finished the race in under two hours and learned of the age-group win in an email afterward.
Booth began running with Couch to 5K in her fifties and joined the Running Somewhere Else club at the beginning of last year.
She says she took up running to build stronger bones and a stronger heart, and now runs for fun as well.
A friend encouraged her to keep going during the half marathon when Booth thought she might stop.
- Who
- Alison Booth, 65, a retired seamstress from Cirencester.
- What
- She won her age category at the Gloucester Half Marathon, finishing in under two hours.
- When
- March; the year is not stated.
- Where
- The Gloucester Half Marathon.
- Why
- Booth began running to build stronger bones and a stronger heart, and says she now runs for fun as well.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Keep going – we cannot be overtaken by a dinosaur!
I used to say I was running away from osteoporosis and heart disease, but now I’m running for fun, too.
There will come a day when I cannot do this. Today is not that day.
Booth started running with Couch to 5K.
Booth joined Ben Smith for part of his 401 marathons in 401 days challenge when he came to Swindon.
Booth joined the Running Somewhere Else running club.
Booth finished the Gloucester Half Marathon in under two hours and later received an email saying she had won her age category.
- Age
- 65
- Home
- Cirencester
- Race
- Gloucester Half Marathon
- Finish time
- Under two hours
- Running club
- Running Somewhere Else
Sources
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