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Harry, 70, takes marathon in his stride

Ben Turner
16/ 4/2008

AN APPLE, a banana, and a pear a day helped haul Harry the Harrier a long, long way at the London Marathon on Sunday – at the grand old age of 70.

Harry Newton has sworn by the recommended five-a-day fruit and veg for years and secured his best ever time in what was his ninth stab at the distance – proving experience counts.

He even beat his own trainer by nearly half an hour.

The speedy septuagenarian finished sixth out of 106 entrants in the over-70s age group.

Today a grandfather of nine and great grandfather of one, he was a late starter to running, having begun in his 50s, and has been a committed Macclesfield Harrier since he was 65.

His time of three hours and 52 minutes over the 26.2 miles beat his running club coach David Jackson – himself a mature 68 years of age – by 27 minutes.

Harry, of Meg Lane, Broken Cross, said: "I shaved two minutes off my personal best. I’m still getting quicker – my first marathon in 1995 took me six weeks to recover.

"I run about three times a week and also go to the gym at Total Fitness to strengthen my knees.

"I try to look after myself and eat porridge and an apple, pear and banana every day. I feel pretty good; just a few twinges in my calves. I hope to be there again next year."

The retired shopkeeper and subpostmaster at Bollinbrook Post Office raised more than £600 for The Multiple Sclerosis Society.

David, his proud coach, said: "It is a new record – we’ve never had a runner over 70 even complete the marathon before."

Macclesfield runners across the ages found their fundraising feet in London.

Rebecca Turner, 27, of Wren Close, Macclesfield, experienced her toughest challenge yet to take her charity fundraising past the £8,000 mark.

The PR and marketing executive completed what was her eighth marathon, in 4 hours 34 minutes, despite suffering muscle pains in her legs.

"I was struggling to move my legs but the atmosphere was fantastic," she said."I was running alongside the Masai warriors at one stage and someone dressed as a cornish pasty."

Training brothers Jack and Tom Gaskell were sadly separated on Sunday. Jack, 22, a retained firefighter at Poynton Fire Station who could not compete after injuring his ankle, said: "Tom did fantastic and finished in three hours and 56 minutes but it was disappointing we couldn’t do it together after training so hard.

"I’ve managed to carry my place over to next year so we’ll be back."

Tom, 24, who runs graphic designers Gaskell and Holt Studios, in Macclesfield, raised hundreds of pounds for the Rossendale Trust, which provides crucial care for the disabled including the brothers’ second cousin, Suzi Wallis.

Express reporter Ben Turner went even further afield for his 26.2 miles – completing the Paris Marathon a fortnight ago. Ben, 29, had his own target of four hours for what was his first stab at the 26.2 mile distance – in aid of Cancer Research UK and WaterAid – and missed out by just one minute.

He said: "I swore I would only do one, but after seeing Harry clock in quicker than me in his ninth, I might have to think again. At 41 years his junior I ought to be ashamed of myself – but I was in unfamiliar surroundings! But the atmosphere was great though and the weather pretty much perfect; cloudy, cool and no wind. Four of us ran together after four months training and all clocked in within three minutes of each other at the end. I won that one at least..."

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