93-year-old athlete reveals fitness and diet secrets: ‘I thought I’d last until I was almost 70’

fitness

by Tracy Swartz

John Starbrook is unstoppable.

The Briton known as “The Legend” has run 52 marathons and works out in the gym six days a week. He is 93 years old.

“Spin classes keep me moving,” Starbrook told The Guardian on Sunday. “Then, around 4 or 5 p.m., I go back to working on my upper body.”

He has been an excellent swimmer for nearly 80 years — since he was a teenager. He honed his skill while serving in the Army Medical Corps.

To celebrate his 80th birthday, he swam almost a mile across Corryvrycan Bay, between the Scottish islands of Jura and Scarpa. He still swims three times a week and plays water polo.

Starbrook also took up running at the age of 53, running a personal best marathon of 4 hours 14 minutes in North Wales at the turn of the century. The last time he completed the 26.2-mile race was in 2019 when he was 88 years old.

He was the oldest runner in the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon, at the age of 87.

The former egg delivery worker finished first in his age group with a time of 8 hours, 21 minutes and 44 seconds.

“About 10 or 15 years ago, the doctor said, ‘You have to pack your bags for this run,’” Starbrook told The Guardian. So I said, “Yes, okay” — and I did about 15 marathons after that.

The Staines, a Middlesex resident, credits his genes for his long-standing athleticism.

“I don’t do anything special,” he admitted to The Guardian, “although I’ve never smoked and I don’t drink much. My diet is very normal. I eat porridge in the morning and eat a lot of vegetables, and I don’t eat a lot of fried food.”

He also said that he was “never upset about anything.”

He admits to having some occasional health challenges, including a little arthritis in one knee and an irregular heartbeat, which he treats with a blood thinner.

“I thought I would last until I was about 70,” the underage man told The Guardian. “When I was younger, I thought: I wonder if I’ll still be alive in the year 2000.” That was 1945. I wouldn’t get to 3,000 anyway.

Starbrook works as an ambassador for Age UK, raising tens of thousands of dollars for the charity and inspiring over-50s to get active.

The father of three, who has been retired for 28 years, recommends that seniors start easy by running a mile or two and walking when necessary.

They should use the extra time they have after retirement to go to the gym – try to enjoy it, but don’t overdo it.

“A lot of people seem to think that when they turn 50, they’re old,” Starbrook told The Telegraph in 2022. “I hear that, I don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Starbrook’s advice comes as a new study advises women to be active before the age of 55 to enjoy the health benefits as they age.