Telford runner Jim is still going strong at 80 - with pictures
He may 80 but Telford's Jim Hussey is showing no signs of slowing down.
In fact he still takes part in the Telford Park Run regularly and has completed 209 runs out of a possible 221 runs over four years.
On Saturday runners gathered together to throw Jim a surprise birthday party.
He said: “I was very shocked to see all the people at the finish line to celebrate my birthday. There were about 500 people cheering me on.
“You don’t become 80 every day so it was a nice way to celebrate.
“My birthday is on Wednesday so I am also putting on a bit of a spread for the runners next weekend as well.”
Jim, who lives in Sutton Hill, started running in his late teens after joining the RAF.
He said: “I have been running most of my life.
“When I was at school I was made to play football and hated it. So when I joined the RAF in 1955 when I was asked if I wanted to play football or cross country running I chose running.
“I moved to a permanent RAF base in Warwickshire in 1956 and I met a man who was a Great British international runner and would train with him. When he left he wrote me a letter to say thank you for all the help and tips I gave him.
“I was running competitively until my mid 40s when I retired however I then took a job at RAF Shawbury and carried on running then and helping others.
“I have run everything from a mile to a marathon.
“Some of my biggest achievements include running from John O’Groats to Lands End.
“I also ran from Skegness to Blackpool in 1981. That was when I was 44, and at that time a reporter asked the organiser ‘isn’t he a bit old for that?’ I’m still going strong now.”
Jim started taking part in the Telford Park Run when it started four years ago.
He said: “I think it is a tremendous innovation.
“When I started running these sorts of things were not around.
“I would encourage anyone to take part as it is a good way of keeping fit and meeting new people.
“There are people of all ages and it is great. It takes about 16/17 minutes for the fastest people to get round and about 1 hour for the slowest. Nobody feels pressured.
“It takes me about 34/35 minutes now which isn’t as good as I used to do but I need to remember I am getting older.
“Doctors always say to me to keep running as long as I can and that is what I intend to do.
“It helps keep me physically and mentally healthy.”
