After a moving event led him to take up exercise later in life, Manchester Half’s oldest participant, Gordon Aaron, is now the one inspiring others, as he prepares to complete his fifth event.

In 2019, shortly after completing radiotherapy for prostrate cancer, the British Army veteran was watching a documentary about a former Afghanistan soldier climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. He recalled that “If that man could go through so much pain, I could get off my backside and run a Half marathon”.

Now, as he approaches 90, Gordon is about to complete his fifth Manchester Half. He will take part in memory of his late wife Doreen, who he sadly lost to Alzheimer’s disease in 2020.

Read Gordon’s uplifting journey to running below – including his advice on how to stay fit into later life.

GORDON’S STORY

2015-2016 was a difficult time in my life. I’d been diagnosed with prostate cancer while caring for my wife with vascular dementia, and the treatment affected me quite badly. Eventually, my wife went into care, and shortly after she very sadly passed away.

By 2017, radiotherapy treatment had left me with damaged bone marrow and an impaired immune system. In fact, my white blood cell count showed zero and I was told that I had a significant risk of serious infection.

When I asked my doctor when my cells would repair and I’d start to get better, they replied “Gordon, it’s not going to get better”. This was devastating to hear – but the stubborn old man in me told me that I had to try something.

I started by taking a hard look at my diet and started to make changes, including eating plenty of anti-inflammatory foods. I also joined a walking club and enjoyed long rambles across Rochdale. When I returned to the doctor a year later, they were shocked to find that my immune system had drastically improved. ‘”How have you done it?” they asked. The answer of good diet and exercise seemed too easy. For me, however, it really was that simple.

In 2019,  I was watching a documentary about James Rose – the first double amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. The climb was torturous and by the end, he was crawling to the summit. I remember standing up in my house, watching the screen with tears falling down my face: “If that man could go through so much pain, I can get out there and really challenge myself too”.

So, at 84, I set myself the goal of completing a half marathon. The training was slow and steady and I used a walk-run approach to build up distance. I completed the Manchester Half in 2019 and finished in a time of 03:05:47. The sense of achievement and atmosphere of the event woke up something inside me – so much so that now, at 90, I am as fit as a butcher’s dog and about to take on my fifth event this year!

Since I started exercise again in my 80s, I am proud to have challenged my mind and body, and raised money for various charities such as the Veterans in Communities, Dementia UK and Wood Street Mission in Manchester. I’ve also taken on various walking challenges and was awarded the Changing Lifestyles trophy at Rochdale Borough Sports and Culture Awards in 2019.

People ask me how I do it all at 90, and my answer is that if you believe that you can do something, you’re bound to succeed.

Of course, you do have to maintain good diet and stretching and mobility exercises become more important in older age. The key is to keep moving.

I am looking forward to this year’s event as it’s always so well organised with an amazing atmosphere. People have asked me how old I am at the finish line and I like to see their faces when I tell them! I like to pull people’s legs and say I feel like a young man – but in part that’s really how I feel!”

Good luck to all participants this year and see you there!

Thank you Gordon for sharing your story and we can’t wait to be blown away by you once more at the event in October!