iRun because I want to live to be 100! – Colette DeJean, Ontario

iRun because I�ve lost 80 lbs and running has become fun – Cheryl Kelly, Ontario

iRun iRun to feel great – Kathryn Rachar, Saskatchewan

iRun to stay fit and release those running endorphins – Liliana Plava, Calgary, AB

iRun because pecan pie, french fries and beer are chasing me – Teresa Sterling, Ottawa , ON

iRun iRun away from the abyss – Charlene Thomas, Ontario

iRun iRun to eat – Maureen Tritscher, Alberta

iRun iRun for the challenge and to remember to fully live – Pascale Synnott, Qu�bec

iRun because I cannot say no to a second slice of chocolate cake – Emily Shandruk, Vancouver, BC

iRun slowly! – Jason Hoffman, Manitoba

iRun iRun because i love to – Mirella Petriello, Ontario

iRun because it reminds me that I am capable of so much more than I have done – James Sauve, Ottawa, ON

iRun because I need it to soothe the soul, keep me in shape and for overall wellbeing – Beth Neil, Lombardy, ON

iRun iRun because it sure beats the bus – Robin Robbins, Alberta

iRun to be free and enjoy our beautiful country – Cheryl Carter, Clearwater , BC

iRun iRun so that I can live longer and stronger – Derek MacPhail, Ontario

iRun to get to know myself, my strength and my spirit – Lisa Groulx, Ontario

iRun iRun because it is my tonic and my salvation – Georgia Ioannou, British Columbia

iRun to prove to myself I can – Lesley McGougan, Brampton, ON

iRun to stay ahead of the weight gain – Myra Abstreiter, Alberta

iRun to challenge myself, physically and mentally – Kathleen Keenan, Brampton, ON

iRun iRun to correct years of sedentary living! – Mike Scott, Ontario

iRun because all the ladies are chasing my sexy runner’s body – Chris Baker, Etobicoke, ON

iRun because it’s in me – Michael Foley, Stittsville, ON

iRun because when I run I feel most alive – Meghan Lynch, Ottawa, ON

iRun because otherwise I�m grumpy – Alexandre Charest, Quebec

iRun to someday win the race – Lindy Dunlop, Yukon

iRun because iEat – Sherry Maligaspe, British Columbia

iRun iRun because walking is too slow – Barry Knapp, Ontario

iRun whenever I feel the need to escape – Iona Hillis, Ontario

iRun therefore I am – Duncan Walsh, Nottingham, UK

iRun for the challenge to go faster and farther – Steven Matejka, Alberta

iRun so I don�t say never ever again – Linda Klaric, Manitoba

iRun iRun because somebody once told me I couldn't – Heidi Abbey-Der, Saskatchewan

iRun because I never thought I would be able to – Gary Morris, Winnipeg, MB

iRun for health, iRun for life – Pat Cheung, British Columbia

iRun iRun all the livelong day – Pierre Saint-Laurent, Qu�bec

iRun because I love the solitude – Janene Tailleur, British Columbia

iRun iRun because endorphins are free – Cassandra Chouinard, Ontario

iRun to unleash my inner athlete – Adelle Densham, Avonmore, ON

iRun because it cleans up my life, because I drink more water, sleep better and eat healthier foods – Robin McIntyre, Ottawa, ON

iRun iRun because it's better than almost everything else – Nathan Carey, Ontario

iRun at 50 years old because at 43 I couldn�t – Peter Cicalo, Ontario

iRun iRun for my heart, so it runs for me! – Cathy Brzoza, British Columbia

iRun because it makes me feel good, allows me to spend time with my friends and gives me a feeling of accomplishment – Helen Kolodziejzyk, Calgary, AB

iRun to inspire my kids to try – Glen Johnston, Nunavut

iRun to prove to them that iCan – Catherine Smith, Manitoba

iRun iRun because it's cheaper than therapy – Leah Boulter, Alberta

iRun because it gets my husband out there – Tricia LaLonde, Alberta

iRun because somebody once told me I couldn�t – Heidi Abbey-Der, Saskatchewan

iRun because my heart tells me to – William Martin, Manitoba

iRun because iLoves my man – Beverly Huang, Alberta

iRun for relaxation and to motivate my two sons – Keith Bradbury, Newfoundland

iRun because it makes me whole – Denis Ladouceur, Quebec

iRun iRun because couch potatoes die young – Cathy Andrew, Ontario

iRun because the wall is meant to be broken – Jonathan Bird, Ontario

iRun for the cool t-shirts! – Pina Bevilacqua, Ontario

iRun because not everyone can – Olivia Harvey, New Brunswick

iRun iRun because I like to be healthy – Melanie Oickle, New Brunswick

iRun but not enough – Michael Shaw, New Westminister, BC

iRun because it�s cheaper than therapy – Leah Boulter, Alberta

iRun iRun because I learn more about who I am with every km – Steph Mansell, Quebec

iRun because I can and I’m grateful – Terry SanCartier, Gatineau, QC

iRun because it reminds me of how strong I can be – Monique Lavoie, Ontario

iRun iRun for relaxation and to motivate my two sons – Keith Bradbury, Newfoundland

iRun because couch potatoes die young – Cathy Andrew, Ontario

iRun see where my feet will take me today – Megan Dolinskas, New York

iRun because endorphins are free – Cassandra Chouinard, Ontario

iRun iRun to maintain a strong physical and mental state – Tammy Rainville, Ontario

iRun iRun slowly! – Jason Hoffman, Manitoba

iRun because it gives me freedom to relax my brain – Marie-Claude Gregoire, Nova Scotia

iRun because I live – Georges Schneller, Laval, QC

iRun because I get foot rubs afterward – Kate Howerton, British Columbia

iRun because it�s a great way to see the world – Sherry Mahoney, British Columbia

iRun iRun because it helps me see things more clearly – Jennifer Pitts, Ontario

iRun iRun because I love the sense of accomplishment – Amber Moase, Nova Scotia

iRun because it�s better than almost everything else – Nathan Carey, Ontario

iRun iRun to eat more, especially sweet potatoe fries – Joanna Skomra, Ontario

iRun iRun because iEat – Sherry Maligaspe, British Columbia

iRun for the moment when both feet are off the ground – Catherine Anderson, British Columbia

iRun iRun because it gives me freedom to relax my brain – Marie-Claude Gregoire, Nova Scotia

iRun because I can�t dance – Mario Javier, Ontario

iRun because it makes me feel powerful – Sarah Kallaghan, Alberta

iRun because there is no finish line – Claire Kilgour, Ontario

iRun to my happy place and some days it�s very – Doreen May, Alberta

iRun so my daughters know that they can, too – Shelley Kirkpatrick, New Brunswick

iRun iRun for the fresh air and adrenalin – Charlyn McGregor, Saskatchewan

iRun because running is like breathing to – Stephanie McEvoy, Ontario

iRun because I want to be a role model for our six kids – Catherine Empey, British Columbia

iRun iRun to kickstart my day – Sharon Strueby, Saskatchewan

iRun iRun because I like buying running clothes – Pamela Blaikie, Ontario

iRun because food tastes better afterwards – Patrick Houston, Alberta

iRun because I am not as clumsy I thought I was – Hanna Baer, Quebec

iRun because I learn more about who I am with every km – Steph Mansell, Quebec

iRun iRun for the individual pursuit – Robert Pelletier, New Brunswick

iRun iRun to satisfy the irresistible urge – Tim Nixon, British Columbia

iRun because it�s fun when it�s done – Sue Matte, Ontario

iRun away from the negative and towards the positive – Teri Lepard, Alberta

iRun iRun to challenge my mind, body and soul – Sonia Mendes, Ontario

iRun and run, and run, and run, and nobody can stop me – Andrei Lucaciu, Ontario

iRun iRun for me! – Judi Wearing, Saskatchewan

iRun for overall wellbeing – Trish McCourt, Halifax, NS

iRun so I can eat ice cream – Sandy Bolan, Ontario

iRun because of the peace and strength it brings me – Michelle Jordan, Ottawa, ON

iRun iRun to inspire my children! – Wendy Bowen, Manitoba

iRun because I want to qualify for Boston and raise money for charities near and dear to my heart – Christine Gracel, Calgary, AB

iRun because it makes me a better person, a better wife, a better mother and a better friend – Nathalie Joncas-Caissie, St-Antoine, NB

iRun for me – Kiza Francis, Ottawa,ON

iRun iRun at 50 years old because at 43 I couldn't – Peter Cicalo, Ontario

iRun because it�s like flying, only lower – Glenn Johnson, Ontario

iRun iRun because it's a great stress release – Brooke McKenzie, Yukon

iRun because I like buying running clothes – Pamela Blaikie, Ontario

iRun because it makes me feel powerful – Carlene Paquette, Carp, ON

iRun iRun to challenge my perceived limitations – Cassandra Williams, Ontario

iRun because it gives my day a boost of energy – Sara Campbell, Nova Scotia

iRun because it has saved my life – John Marshall, Alberta

iRun because it is my tonic and my salvation – Georgia Ioannou, British Columbia

iRun because people around me inspire me – Pina Bevilacqua, Caledon, ON

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Cover photo from the current issue of iRun Magazine

Photo of Mark Sutcliffe's new book - Why I Run

Back to Table of Contents

WEB EXTRA:
Meet Alan Rushforth, the most 'senior' Canadian to run Boston.

Ageless Wonder

How did Ed Whitlock manage a world record, sub-three-hour marathon at 73?
By running three hours a day, seven days a week in a cemetery.

Ed Whitlock defies both aging and logic. The wiry, retired engineer from Milton, Ontario has posted marathon times men less than half his age can only dream of. Whitlock was the first person over 70 to run a sub-three-hour marathon. At 73, he turned in an age-group world record of 2:54:48. And at 76 he ran 3:04:53.

Whitlock seems to taunt death, not to mention tedium, by circling a cemetery dozens of times a day in his long training runs. He gets no runner's high, only a quiet satisfaction from smashing record after record. Now a spry 77, and despite a knee injury that has kept him out of competition for almost a year, he's determined to come back and run - and break some records - in his 80s.

In school and university, I was considered to be one of the better junior runners in England at the time. I was a much better runner when I was in school than when I went to university. Somehow it kind of leaked away then. I was never as good at university.

So when I came to Canada in 1952, I wasn't that upset to give it up. I didn't run again until I moved down to Toronto in 1955. I tried to start, and was appalled by how bad I was. So I never started really running again until I was over 40, and I've run continuously since then.

When I started running again in my 40s, I was a middle-distance runner. It was only when I got to my 60s that I became a long-distance runner. In my 40s, I ran mostly the 800 and 1500 metres. In 1979, at the World Masters in Hanover, I won the 1500 for men aged 45 and up. Then I got busy at work. That was my excuse. And I didn't do too much serious competitive running in my 50s.

I did my first marathon in 1976 with my youngest son, who was 14 at the time. I didn't run a serious marathon until 1979. I ran Ottawa. That was where I did my best time I ever did: 2:31 and change. It wasn't bad for a middle-distance runner who was pushing up the age group by then. I was 48, so I was getting old.

I'm not really sure how many marathons I've done, but it's around 35. I haven't done a huge number. I'm only averaging about one a year since I started doing them.

Chasing the record

When I was 65, I first ran the Columbus Marathon. I went down there for the next four years - each time I was well under three hours. When I was about 67 or 68, I had this idea that I could do one when I was 70 and that was an objective worth going for. I ran Columbus when I was 69 and I did 2:54 that year. But I was pretty beaten up at the finish of that thing. It wasn't that great a performance, but I was still pretty confident.

The following spring I went down to London, Ontario and I was pretty confident that I was going to do sub-three. I ended up 24 seconds over three hours - about half a minute under the previous world record. I knew at the half-way point that it probably wasn't going to be there. I was kind of surprised that in the end I came as close as I did - it was disappointing to say the least. Later that summer, my left knee started to hurt and I was basically off running for a year. So I didn't run another marathon until I was 72, when I ran the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, two-and-a-half years later.

The way things were going, I was reasonably confident that I had a good chance of doing it. But I was walking over to the mall and I was walking along quite briskly - this was six days before the marathon - and I managed to do a face plant on the sidewalk. I found out afterwards that I broke my nose. I had two black eyes and all kinds of abrasions all over my face - it wasn't a pretty sight. I ran the thing anyway, although I was getting a lot of advice that I shouldn't try it. I was ahead of the three-hour pace all the way until I really began to have difficulties just after 35k. It was a real struggle to get home; fortunately I got in with a little group of runners that helped me along. I stayed with this group, grimly hanging on, until about 40 or 41. And one guy stayed with me and shepherded me home.

The photographs of me finishing are not pretty. I had all these facial disfigurements for one thing, and I was showing obvious distress apart from that. I was leaning over to one side, but I made it with just over a minute to spare. So that was a tough race. I was happy to have got it done, but I was still embarrassed about the way I finished and the way I looked. It was a feeling more of relief than elation.

The following year I ran an absolutely marvelous race. I wish I knew how you could do that all the time - it would be nice to be able to bottle it. It was kind of a magic summer - I ran a great 10k two weeks before and a great marathon, in 2:54:50. I finished in great shape, I wasn't in any distress.

Round and round the cemetery

My marathon training program is to run every day, three hours a day. I run a third of a mile loop over and over, around a cemetery.

Absolutely, it gets boring. But for me, it has some advantages. It's just 200 yards from here. You're never far from home. It's particularly advantageous in the winter. You don't run against the wind for any length of time, and they clear the road. In the summer, most of it's in the shade. I don't do most of the things the books say you should do. I don't know that it would work for everybody. But I think it's a truism as far as marathons are concerned that the more running you do, the more total volume you can handle, the better.

Particularly for the last two months before the marathon, I try to run every day and try and run three hours. I don't measure how far I go in three hours, I purposely don't do that. I don't get psyched out by how good or how bad I'm running that day. I just run around and put in the time. I try to get lots of these three-hour runs in before the marathon and then I like to run a 10k a couple of weeks before. From that I can judge what pace I can do for the marathon.

The following week, I keep doing the three hours. I run long on the Sunday and the Monday before the marathon. After that, I taper back down to run maybe an hour a day. I normally keep track of my pre-marathon build-up starting about 20 weeks before the marathon. The more I can do the better.

I never claim that's what everybody ought to do, but it works for me. Everybody has to find what works for them. Consider how much time you have to waste on this, and whether your wife will put up with it. It would be very difficult for me to do that if I weren't retired.

I find it kind of vaguely amusing to see the people who carry around the belt full of bottles and need all the latest gizmos. There not really on the same wavelength as me. I don't believe in the "how to run your best 5k in 10 weeks." I think that's all magic potions.

I don't take water out with me. I just bring a watch to see when the time is up. I don't perspire as much as most people do. In a race, I do drink, depending on conditions.

I never give advice. The only advice I would have is to find out what's best for them. Get your enjoyment the way you like. Some people like to not push themselves too hard and that's fine. Some people are in it for competitive reasons and that's fine, too.

How does he do it?
Even he's not sure�

I suppose a large part of why I was able to do it is genetics. I suspect that's more than 90 per cent of it. I'm naturally light, I have good mechanics. I don't pound as much as most people would do. You do have to adapt. One of the reasons I stopped being a middle-distance runner is because my Achilles tended to complain when I did interval work.

When I started running again, I never had any particular thought that I was going to stop. It's the same thing now. Do I have any thoughts that I'll be running in my 90s? Yeah. I'll run as long as I can. Whether I'll be able to get going again now or not, I don't know. You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow.

I'd just like to keep running, mainly. That's what I'd like to do. And set some 80-year-old records, maybe. They're well within reach if I could keep running.

The quiet satisfaction of a chore

Everyone is egotistical to some extent. I suppose I take a slight degree of quiet satisfaction I suppose.

I doubt I could run for my health. I'm too lazy for that. I need more incentive than that. I don't think records are a necessary part of it. Just to be able to compete is enough. Other people say: Why do you always run by yourself? Why don't you run a group? The disadvantage of running with a group is that you're either running slower than you should be or faster, one of the two. Doing my own thing, I can run just how I feel.

I don't particularly enjoy running around the cemetery when it's too damn cold or too damn hot. I like going to races, being part of the scene, talking to the other people. But I don't get any runner's high or any particular enjoyment out of running around the cemetery. This is a chore.