Outstanding 90-year-old runner from Huddersfield had by no means competed within the monitor and didn’t even personal a passport previous to this yr’s World Masters Champs in Gothenburg
Colin Spivey resides proof that age isn’t any barrier to new adventures. This August, he proudly represented Nice Britain on the World Masters Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, competing within the 5000m occasion throughout the M85 age group. Remarkably, the 90-year-old had by no means competed on a monitor earlier than, whereas he hadn’t even been overseas since he was a young person.
His journey to Sweden started a lot nearer to residence. Since 2012, he has been a well-known face on the Huddersfield parkrun, setting his private better of 27:14 a decade in the past. Even now, he continues to impress, clocking 29:51 this yr. Spivey by no means imagined these Saturday morning outings would result in the chance of competing for his nation only one month earlier than his ninetieth birthday.
It was solely after one among his common runs {that a} good friend of his daughter’s delivered him some information – he was one of many quickest 5km runners in his age group within the nation.
“I used to be completely amazed,” he says. “My daughter was the one who bought me into doing parkruns and, the primary time I did it, I stated: ‘Properly I’ve executed it as soon as, that’s it’.
“However I simply carried on and I had no concept this was going to occur. I by no means take into consideration my time while operating, I simply preserve out of the way in which of the quick runners and keep close to the again.”
To his astonishment, Spivey’s 5km occasions earned him a spot within the 5000m monitor occasion on the World Masters however there have been just a few challenges in the way in which to get there. The primary points have been that he didn’t personal a passport and he had by no means competed on a monitor earlier than. Initially hesitant in regards to the concept, Spivey declined the invitation at first. “However then I believed: ‘What the hell?’ It’s a as soon as in a lifetime alternative, I’d as nicely.”
Colin Spivey and fellow masters (Alex Rotas)
With the choice made and a passport secured, Spivey ventured to the native athletics monitor in Huddersfield to offer it a attempt. “Parkrun is one factor however doing the identical distance on the monitor is a special factor altogether,” he provides. “After three laps, I believed: ‘I’m by no means going to make this’, and that was the one go I had.”
With that single tack session beneath his belt, Spivey returned to the extra acquainted roads and accomplished 4 extra runs earlier than heading to Sweden, accompanied by his three youngsters and different members of his household. He had two easy targets: end the race and ensure he didn’t are available in final. Each have been achieved.
Competing within the M85 age group, Spivey crossed the end in 30:40.23, coming fourth in his class and eleventh total within the 5000m. “I used to be a bit dissatisfied with the time however, however, it was gratifying,” he says.
So gratifying, the truth is, that it has ignited one other athletics ambition inside him. That is removed from being the tip of the street and, having watched different athletes compete in numerous occasions through the Masters Championships, he has now set his sights on a brand new aim: the decathlon.
“We have been there for every week, so we paraded across the monitor and watched the opposite athletes do their factor,” says Spivey. “I do know I shouldn’t have however I used to be laughing on the 80+ chaps doing the decathlon. There was one chap doing the pole vault and everyone stated: ‘Colin, you are able to do higher than that’. So, they’ve pushed me to do decathlon now. I can already do the runs, it’s simply the opposite issues I’ve not executed.”
Spivey has already set about studying these unfamiliar occasions and has been travelling to amenities in Cleckheaton and Spenborough, the place he has been practising the javelin, discus and shot put. With no native entry to a pole vault facility, he has taken issues into his personal palms.
“I’ve put some canes within the again backyard garden, and I’ve put a cane throughout them about two toes excessive,” stated Spivey. “I couldn’t even leap the factor. I’ve put it all the way down to about 18 inches now and I’ve managed to leap over that.
“I’m actually going to have a go at these 4 occasions that I haven’t executed but, to see if I can do them in any respect. If I can do them then I’ll have a go at it as a result of I believe I may get perhaps one or two world information for my age.”
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Spivey’s willpower to sort out these new challenges shouldn’t be so stunning when you think about his previous experiences of operating. He hasn’t all the time been athletic, although. “I began smoking once I left faculty and didn’t do something for years,” he says, “till somebody challenged me to a race as soon as over one mile and I solely reached midway. I couldn’t get my breath in order that evening the whole lot – cigarettes, pipe, the whole lot – went within the bin and that was it.”
He began with enjoyable runs, progressing to 10-mile races, half-marathons, and even a few marathons. Nevertheless, when his spouse fell unwell, Spivey stopped operating for some time.
“I haven’t executed something since I used to be round 60… till my daughter informed me in regards to the parkruns,” he says. It has unlocked the door to a world of athletics journey.
» This characteristic first appeared within the November difficulty of AW journal. Subscribe to AW journal right here, try our new podcast right here or signal as much as our digital archive of again points from 1945 to the current day right here
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