An 85-year-old grandad completed a 5k fun-run in impressive time - fifteen years after giving up the sport.
Donald Scott, from West Kirkby, completed the Birkenhead Park parkrun yesterday, June 3, in 38 minutes and 56 seconds.
He said: "I became aware of the parkruns by accident about two years ago. I took part in my first one in London with my eldest son, over quite a muddy field, and I struggled in quite inappropriate shoes. I finished probably last but one. I thought I'd give it another go when I saw the parkrun at Birkenhead, and I enjoyed the course very much, and the friendliness of the people."
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Donald formerly worked as a teacher at St John Plessington Catholic Secondary School in Bebington, where he "used to run to school with his bags, which was around 10 miles away". He used to run with the Wirral Athletic Club and Northern Veterans, but decided to retire from the track after slowing down when he hit 70.
He added: "Until recently I trained very rarely. I had given up running for some years. When I was 70 I went for a run with the Northern Veterans and I thought I performed disappointingly and I packed it in, and came back to it when I came across the parkruns, about two years ago. So I intend now to carry on.
"I ran better than usual today. I'm usually in the last six on the field, but today I was higher up, and I didn't realise I ran so well until I got a report of the time."
His son Ed, 46, who lives in London, said: "I am very, very proud. He absolutely loves it. He was in the Wirral Athletic Club for over 50 years and in the relay team.
"Dad hardly ever drinks and he has never smoked. He said he treats his body like a formula 1 car and puts the right fuel in it. He is very independent and still travels. He doesn't look his age and he doesn't act his age either."
Donald, a retired teacher said: "I think I'm the oldest runner in the group in Birkenhead at the moment. I do a lot of walking. I live in Wirral and there's some good walks over the hill, overlooking the River Dee and the coast.
"I keep myself in reasonable shape, sleep well, eat well, and do gardening - so rather ordinary, nothing exceptional. But I've been fortunate enough to keep myself free of serious illness, which is good luck on my part."
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