How running prolongs life: real stories of 100-year-old athletes

The popularity of running is due to its accessibility. You don’t need special conditions and complicated equipment. Just go outside and run. At the same time, the health benefits are hard to overestimate. It is confirmed by scientific experiments.

One of the largest studies was conducted by the Dallas Cooper Institute and the University of Iowa. It lasted 15 years. It involved 55 thousand subjects. Throughout the time, scientists tracked the level of physical activity and the causes of deaths that occurred during this period.

Their conclusion was that running prolongs life. According to the data, if a person goes for a two-hour jog once a week for 40 years, their life expectancy can increase by 2.8-3.2 years (compared to the chances of those who ignore physical activity). It turns out that an hour of jogging can extend life by 6-7 hours. Regular exercise, on the other hand, helps reduce the risk of premature death by 25-40%.

What is the basis of this effect and is there any real evidence of it? Let’s look at it in order.

How it works

head coach of the “Running Community”

Running has a positive effect on our health in general, and this is reflected in our well-being in old age. How exactly does it work on the body and what should we do to ensure that only positive effects remain?

With proper planning of the training process, there are qualitative changes in our musculoskeletal system. Thanks to regular training, he is in a constant tone and good mobility.

Muscles, cartilage and bone tissue adapt to the loads. This, in turn, prevents the appearance of distortions that can negatively affect our health.

With regular exercise, we gradually start to grow a new capillary network, improving blood supply and, as a result, the supply of nutrients to internal organs and muscles. The stress on the heart is also significantly reduced.

With positive muscle stress, mitochondrial mass increases in the body. Due to this, our cells receive more oxygen and, consequently, release more energy. As a consequence, we become less tired and more resilient. We have more time for self-development. We can do not only work, but also things we like to do.

As they say, the best rest is a change of activity. Our brain, receiving a variety of tasks, stays “alive” longer. The main thing is to approach everything wisely. Including planning your workouts. Otherwise, you can harm your body.

So what real-life stories can we consider to inspire our running endeavors?

Real-life affirmations

Of course, running is not a panacea. There are other types of activity. We also realize that everything works in combination. Both nutrition and the right life attitude are important. But it is also impossible to notice that sometimes it is sport that becomes the straw that helps to find strength and meaning to move on. Sometimes it is running that becomes this sport.

The heroes we’ll talk about below came into the sport as seniors. And for some it was not only training, but also a certain psychotherapy. All in all, running is not an easy thing. For all its seeming simplicity, …

Julia Hawkins

The 105-year-old American runner is world famous. The pensioner leads an active lifestyle, takes part in marathons and even sets world records.

Initially, the woman participated in bicycle races, but over time she had no one to compete with. So she started running. Since the age of 100, the American pensioner has been participating in short-distance running competitions.

Julia Hawkins

Last year Julia turned 105 years old. This did not prevent her from taking part in the race, which took place in the state of Louisiana in November 2021. The American overcame the distance of 100 meters in 1 minute and 2.95 seconds. This was a world record in her age category.

According to Hawkins, she does not run every day, but she spends her day actively. For example, she walks at least one mile.

Orville Rogers

American Orville Rogers is a former pilot, a veteran of the Second World War. The man celebrated his centenary by running 100 miles with his family.

By his 101st birthday, he held two world running records. At the age of 100, Rogers ran the 400-meter distance in 4.16.90. He had previously completed the 60-meter dash in 19.13 seconds. That was at the USATF Masters (indoor) championships. Alas, he passed away in the fall of 2019 (at the age of 101).

Orville Rogers

What did Rogers himself consider to be his biggest secret to a long life? Upon retiring, he read Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s book Aerobics. The facts in the book inspired him to exercise. He later shared his personal experience in his autobiography, The Running Man.

“When I run, I compete not only with those who are on the track at that moment, but also with those who have run the same distance before. I enjoy it,” he writes in his book.

Fauja Singh

Indian-origin Briton Fauja Singh is the world’s oldest marathon runner. At the age of 100, he ran a distance of 42 kilometers and 195 meters (at a tournament in Canada). Singh covered it in 8 hours 25 minutes and 16 seconds. He may have finished only 3850th, but he was definitely the star of the event.

Earlier, in 2003, he had also set a world record here. Singh ran the same distance in 5 hours and 40 minutes. He was 90 years old at the time. The achievement was entered in the Guinness Book of World Records.

He also holds eight records among 100-year-old men who managed to run all sprint distances from 100 to 5,000 meters.

Fauja Singh started running to survive the death of his wife. She passed away when the man was 89 years old. For 11 years he has been running every day, covering 16 kilometers.

Fauja attributes his success to more than just physical activity. He believes that proper nutrition and a positive attitude are also important. His food secret is lots of curries and tea.

“The secret to a long and healthy life is to be stress-free. Be grateful for everything you have, stay away from negative people, don’t stop smiling and keep running,” says Singh.