Why running a marathon in your 50s could change your life
Gaby Huddart completed her first marathon in 2023, then went on to do another in 2024, months before completing a four-day, 50-mile kayaking and running race in the Caribbean. The goal? To prove to other women that age is just a number. Here's her story.
Gaby's story
My friends would have described me as ‘adventurous’ as a teenager. But by the time I was in my twenties, I was on the treadmill of work and mortgage payments. I had my two daughters – now 20 and 23 – in my thirties and it wasn’t until they were old enough to fend for themselves that I noticed the loss of my identity.
By the time I turned 50, I was battling heavy perimenopausal periods and low mood. Doctors told me they would typically prescribe HRT a year after a woman’s final period, but my GP agreed to put me on it before mine had ended. Almost instantly, I had physical and mental energy again.
I started running three to four miles at weekends, and when the pandemic hit that became daily.
In 2023, my daughter Lara said she was running the London Marathon, so I decided to join her.
The next year, I ran it again and took 10 minutes off my time. That feeling was so empowering. I knew it wouldn’t be my last fitness feat.
So when an invitation to do the Sandals Island Challenge landed in my inbox, it felt serendipitous. The 70km, four-day event in Saint Vincent raises money for children’s health facilities in the Caribbean and the word ‘challenge’ is apt: runs of 18km, 14km and 23km, an 8km sea kayak and a 15km hike.
I had just five months to train, but with a good base of fitness – and far more mental resilience than I had in my younger years – I wasn’t nervous. I saw the event as an opportunity to defy expectations of what your fifties can look like.
When the day arrived, I was ready. There were hydration stations on the course, but I also ran with an emergency water bottle containing an SiS electrolyte tablet, along with jelly babies and fudge for energy. I’d had my gait analysed and invested in a suitable pair of trainers – protecting your joints becomes more important with age.
The hills were the hardest parts; I’m not ashamed to say I walked most of them on the 23km run. Still, I crossed the line in just under three hours and as the oldest person in the 25-person group (some younger competitors took longer to complete the course).
The challenge taught me we are capable of far more than we know. It’s why I've gone on to train for a fight night – five five-minute boxing rounds against another amateur boxer – and why I did the Arctic Challenge – a four-day endurance challenge in Sweden, involving a 35km dog-sled race and 20km of Nordic skiing, plus sleeping in huts in temperatures as low as -35ºC. But exercise doesn’t have to mean going to extremes. It was during my 45-minute daily lockdown runs that I realised how powerful moving your body can be; it’s this knowledge – not finish lines – that drives me on.
To find out more about Sandals’ charity, visit sandalsfoundation.org
Gaby's top marathon tips
For endurance, I find that listening to murder mysteries on Audible keeps me going for hours.
The hit of sugar from jelly babies is great for energy during an endurance run. These were my go-to snack during both marathons.
There are hydration stations throughout a marathon, but I'd recommend running with an emergency water bottle. I also added an SiS electrolyte tablet, along with my jelly babies and fudge for energy.
If you have a good base fitness level, five months could be sufficient to train.
Be sure to get your gait analysed and invest in a suitable pair of running trainers; this is even more important with age, to protect your joints from damage.
If you find inclines challenging or tough on your joints, walk them. I did. When training, I always run on flat routes.
Bring your support system along – the cheers from crowds of strangers will help, but having friends and family there will keep you going.
Follow a running plan. I ran four times a week, with one long run every week. I would do this longer run every Sunday morning, and you should progressively increase the distance with this run, until you start to taper ahead of marathon day. This would usually take me around three hours.
Remember that distance running isn't about speed. All of my longer runs are quite slow – the goal is to maintain a steady pace throughout the whole distance.
Don't freak out if you get injured. I had a hip injury prior to the Sandals challenge which meant I couldn't do any exercise for three weeks, but this is where mental strength comes in; remind yourself why you're doing the challenge and you'll get through.
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