Ed who, I hear you ask, dear reader, and I cannot blame you. Though Ed Whitlock is the stuff of legend, he is little known outside the running world, yet he is one of the best long-distance runners of all time, certainly above the age of 60. He passed away in 2017 of prostate cancer at the age of 86, leaving the world poorer - Whitlock held many marathon world records, the most impressive of which may be running it in under three hours above the age of 70 (he was 73 at the time!).
Ed Whitlock was born in the London area and was a competitive runner during and immediately after his schooldays in Britain, but moved to Canada and abandoned running in his early twenties. He went back to it in his forties, concentrating on middle distances until running his first marathon with little preparation at age 48 in 2:31:23. Running petered out again until retirement from the day job in his sixties, when he took up road racing and set himself targets; it's fair to say that he achieved most of these, if not always in the timescale he had envisaged.
It is impossible to convey - especially to non-runners - how enormous his achievements were. He had a runner's build, true, but many others do too without achieving half as much. He obviously had something special, something that allowed him not only to tear up the record books on the way but to do so with grace, style and immense modesty. No preening for him, no posing, no self-importance, but a big smile and a glimpse, perhaps, of the steel underneath that allowed him his achievements. To say that he was admired and revered by his fellow runners (and running enthusiasts) for what he achieved - and the way he did so - is an understatement.
His training routine was completely unorthodox, as he paid no attention to anything other than his running and that at a slow pace - he ran laps around a local cemetery. Not for him the strength training, intervals, cross-training or other 'modern distractions'; why, he hardly even bothered with stretching! He also bothered little about all the technical clothing available, shoes or other equipment, so long as he was comfortable. Most importantly, he made it absolutely clear that his way was tailored to suit him, his body and requirements, and was not to be recommended as a 'how to do it' approach for anyone else.
Yesterday I, at the ripe old age of nearly 64, went out for another of my training 'runs' (more like a stumble, really...), trying as I am to regain the fitness levels I lost after an illness in the summer and subsequent masterly inactivity. While even when slim I do not quite possess a runner's physique, normally I am a decent runner who dreams of one day running a marathon in not much above 4 hours; that is, with all the proper training in place and without injuries. At my age (more or less) the amazing Mr. Whitlock easily ran sub-3 hour marathons, up to the age of 74 and beyond; at 85 he ran the marathon in under 4 hours!
Not everyone can be an Ed Whitlock, for sure, but we should all able to enjoy the benefits of exercise - even competitive sport - at any age. It does us good in every way, provided we are sensible, listen to our body, avoid injuries and train properly. Equally importantly, as far as I'm concerned, we mustn't forget that whatever our achievements there's always somebody else who has achieved more and that it is important to be modest. For all that Ed Whitlock was a role model, and one that I admire immeasurably.
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