{"id":945136,"date":"2026-10-29T12:08:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T12:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/945136\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T12:08:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T12:08:10","slug":"meet-the-82-year-old-record-breaking-runner-proving-that-getting-older-cant-stop-you-getting-fitter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/945136\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the 82-year-old record-breaking runner proving that getting older can\u2019t stop you getting fitter"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

He bagged five gold medals at the 2024 World Masters Athletics Championships in Sweden.<\/p>\n

Latest Videos FromFit&Well<\/p>\n

And in December 2025, he broke the British 5km road record for his age (80 and older), lapping Battersea Park in London in 22:28, one second quicker than the mark he set a year earlier.<\/p>\n

Famously, he also skips the gym and toasts each race with a coffee and cigar. And if you recognise him, it might be because he\u2019s the former bass player in British prog rock band King Crimson.<\/p>\n

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The unorthodox athlete is part of The Legacy Team, launched by running brand Altra<\/a>. This is the oldest running team in Britain, with a combined age of 321.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s bucking a trend identified by the company that the average Brit quits running at just 39, with one in three (32%) hanging up their running shoes permanently due to injury.<\/p>\n

Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.<\/p>\n

So what does he credit to his impressive body of work?<\/p>\n

Not cross-training or extensive stretching.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past I\u2019ve done Pilates, yoga, swimming and circuit training but my body is perfectly happy just running now,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI always ask it from time to time if it wants to do any cross-training, but it always says no.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, he explains to Fit&Well, three factors have always underpinned his longevity in the sport\u2014three factors he believes can help anyone keep getting fitter as they get older.<\/p>\n

1. Identify a goal that will keep you motivated<\/p>\n

Before turning 44, Giles didn\u2019t run competitively because he had no reason to.<\/p>\n

That all changed when he set the goal of seeing how far the sport could take him.<\/p>\n

\u201cRunning became a project because I wanted to find out what level I could get to: club, county, national or world standard,\u201d he says, adding that he thinks no one does anything without a good reason.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was mine. I loved the challenge of competing in races and trying to improve my times.\u201d<\/p>\n

It took Giles 16 years of self-coaching before he started winning British Masters titles, by then aged 60.<\/p>\n

He now holds 11 British Masters M80 running records (for those aged 80 and over)\u2014a feat he says has never been achieved before in any British Masters age group.<\/p>\n

\u201cI intend to keep setting new records and improving those I hold already.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Do it because you enjoy it <\/p>\n

Nobody encouraged Giles to start running regularly, he was entirely self-motivated.<\/p>\n

But joining a running club in 2002 brought \u201ca new dimension\u201d to his enjoyment of the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could now race as a team member and enjoy the social aspects of club membership,\u201d he says, reflecting on joining Hercules Wimbledon in 2002.<\/p>\n

Joining a club, he elaborates, provides motivation, advice from experienced runners and coaches, and a sociable setting to work towards your goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cRunning is also an opportunity to explore new places and routes.\u201d<\/p>\n

When not racing, he now covers 30 miles a week, running with training partners twice a week, with two or three shorter interval or fartlek sessions exploring his local woods or parks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also recommend putting some music on to keep you going. The distance matters far less than simply putting one foot in front of the other and getting out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Properly listen to your body <\/p>\n

Giles has witnessed several younger runners pack in the sport because they ignored obvious warning signs.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany young runners overtrain and overcomplicate everything,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever your age, it’s important to build good habits. I’d advise you to listen to your body. I often talk to mine during a run, and this helps guide each session.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tiredness and mild soreness are normal, he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut sharp or lingering pain is a signal to ease off.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also encourages everyone, runners or otherwise, to respect when your body needs a break and to avoid chasing PRs and comparing yourself to others.<\/p>\n

\u201cRest days are part of training, and taking one when you need it is a smart choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cPushing your body to its limits is for elite athletes. For everyone else, easing off regularly is what keeps you running for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Peter Giles doesn\u2019t…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":945137,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[64,63,538,137],"class_list":["post-945136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fitness","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/945136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=945136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/945136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/945137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=945136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=945136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=945136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}