Runner’s World UK – September 2019

ELEVATION IN METRES OF THE WAINWRIGHTS.

HOURS OF SLEEP PER

NIGHT, ON AVER AGE.

The distance,

in miles, that

Tierney covered

over the six days.

‘I knew it was

going to be as

hard as it was.’

Pairs of shoes worn.

‘I was changing

shoes at every

checkpoint.’

Training hours per

week of hiking/

running, since

December. ‘Pretty

much all my long

runs were done on

a part of the route,’

says Tierney.

TEN

20

2

318

TIERNEY’S FUNDRAISING TARGET FOR MIND, THE MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY. HE RAN

IN MEMORY OF FRIEND CHRIS STIRLING. SO FAR, HE HAS RAISED £28,000.

TIERNEY’S WAINWRIGHTS RECORD TIME.

‘I NEVER REALLY, TRULY BELIEVED IT UNTIL

THE LAST DAY,’ HE SAYS.

36,000

Angela White is a grandmother on a

mission. Having spent her career

working for the health service, the

‘Running Granny’, 60, knows the

importance of staying active into old

age. ‘Seventy per cent of the health-

care budget goes on looking after

people with long-term conditions,’ she

says. ‘And many of these conditions,

such as obesity, are preventable

through diet and exercise.’ The

runner, who lives in Kendal, Cumbria,

wants to change people’s perspective

on old age. So on 10 September, she

will set off from John O’Groats,

hoping to become the oldest woman

to run all the way to Land’s End. ‘I’m

a bit scared,’ she says, ‘but I’m hoping

my example will inspire others to

take control of their health.’

Lou Miller took up running at the age

of 55 – and nearly 35 years later he’s

still going strong. The 89-year-old

Norwich Road Runner recently

completed his 700th race and he’s

also run around his home county

of Norfolk. Asked what keeps him

running, he says, ‘Because I enjoy it.

It makes me get out, keep moving and

see the friends I’ve made in running.’

Miller has inspired his own family to

run, and has this message for older

people who might be thinking about

taking up running but are worried

they might be unable to: ‘I started

because I couldn’t keep up with my

daughters on the beach. It was hard

to start with, but I built it up very

slowly and then got great satisfaction

knowing that I could do it. It’s easy

to sit indoors and do nothing. Just

because you’re older doesn’t mean

you can’t do this. Once you’ve started,

you know you can do it and love it!’

ANGELA WHITE

AKA ‘THE RUNNING GRANNY’

Aiming to become

oldest woman to run

the length of Britain

LOU MILLER

Inspiring octogenarian

has clocked up his

700th race

YOU’RE^

AMAZING

!

BY THE NUMBERS

PAUL TIERNEY^

36, LAKE DISTRICT, RAN A NEW WAINWRIGHTS RECORD

ON THURSDAY, JUNE 20, the town of Keswick greeted a new local hero. Fell runner
Paul Tierney, ending a six-day round in the Lake District mountains, was met by
cheering crowds. ‘I’m not from the area – I’ve lived here for about five years – but I felt
almost like an honorary Cumbrian,’ says the Irishman. The acclaim was well deserved – the
36-year-old was about to break the Wainwrights record, having scaled 214 Lake District
peaks and climbed 36,000m. Covering 318 miles, he completed the round in six days, six
hours and five minutes, beating Steve Birkinshaw’s 2014 record by almost seven hours.

W

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PE

AR

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PH

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£30,000

For more info, check out Angela’s Facebook

and Instagram pages: therunninggranny

SEPTEMBER 2019 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK 025