Sportsister chats to Gina Little, who at 63 recently completed the 56 mile Comrades marathon taking her to an amazing tally of 282 marathons.
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How did you get started in Marathon running?
I did my first marathon in London in 1983, I had only just started running at that stage. The London marathon actually runs past the top of my road and I watched the second one and thought, right I want to do that. So that’s exactly what I did. In those days you had to queue up all night to get a ticket, because it was first come, first served, rather than the ballot that it is now.
So what time did you do that first marathon in?
I think I did it in just under 5 hours. My best time is 3 hours 26 mins, that was in London - I think that was in 1995. At the moment I am averaging just under 4 hours.
So obviously it must be a huge part of your life now.
Yes it’s a massive, massive part of my life. Because I’ve done over 100 marathons I belong to the 100 marathon club and since I’ve belonged to that I’ve been going all over the world. In an average year I think I do about 36 events.
How many of those were abroad?
Quite a few; we’ve done most of the continents. We’ve done St. Petersburg, Prague, Budapest, I think I’ve done 12 in America, I’ve done Hawaii twice, that was great. We went for a silver wedding and I ran the marathon there at the same time.
So do a lot of events and holidays happen around marathons ?
Yes, well when my husband was alive he used to say you can do the marathon the first weekend - then we go on holiday, so that was how it worked.
It must cost you a lot of money?
Yes, but then I don’t drink and I don’t smoke - it is just what I choose to do! With the 100 marathon club it gets much cheaper, we book them quick so we get cheap flights and we muck in and share, obviously because I’m on my own, there are other girls there who will share with me.
It must be great having such a strong support network.
Exactly, it is just that. We meet up quite a bit. We do the off-road marathons together and then help marshall the event after we have finished.
You say you run off road, and that you run off road in the dark, is that quite treacherous?
There’s stinging nettles! Obviously we wear head torches, but we all run together, I think there are about 16 of us doing it. We run together until it gets light, and then people start to break up a bit more and they go at their own pace.
So what’s the average age in the 100 club?
It’s a complete mix, but I’d say probably middle aged. It takes a while to do 100, and when you’re younger you don’t always have the time.
So is there any particular marathon that you’ve really loved and that has been your favourite?
I think The Comrades in South Africa, it’s a 56 mile race staring in Durban and finishing in Pietermaritzburg. I really really enjoyed that. You have 12 hours to do it and I did it in 10 hours and 5 mins, and I came second in my age group so I was extremely pleased.
It starts at 5.30am and I could not believe how much support was out at that time, and they’re there the whole 12 hours. It’s a bank holiday the next day and everything just stops for this race. The interesting this is that they run it in the opposite direction every other year. On even years they call it the uphill, and odd years they call it the downhill.
So I take it you’re going back to do downhill?
Oh yes definitely!
Is there any other marathon that you really want to do?
I really want to do the one in Japan, hopefully next year. I think really that’s one of the last places left for me to do. I haven’t actually run a marathon in Australia but I’ve been there, so that may be another one.
Could you tell me a little bit about how much training you do? Do you train everyday?
Well I do something everyday. I run Tuesday lunchtimes for 50 mins and I run Wednesday evening for about and hour and 15. And on Saturday morning I meet my friend and we run together or walk, that’s our catch up time. She’s the person I actually started with; we started running on a Saturday morning. Then I normally run a marathon on the Sunday.
I have never done any speed work I’ve only ever just run around a field. I do yoga twice a week and Pilates twice a week and that keeps me strong and flexible. I tend to do yoga on Monday so it gives me a really good stretch out after a race.
What is it that really keeps you involved and makes it so special?
The people; I just find most sports people in general are quite friendly, for example a running club near to ours recently asked us to go horse racing with them. It’s really sociable.
Did this support help you when your husband died?
Yes definitely, there was one person in particular - we used to run together all the time, we did London to Brighton that year and then I did three marathons in three days. He really kept me at it and out all the time. Running is such a great stress reliever.
Do you think about your diet and what you eat?
No, I just carry on as normal. I don’t eat rubbish, but I do eat chocolate and biscuits in moderation. During races I don’t like energy drinks because I find them too sweet, but at the off road marathons there’s always food at the drinks stations like biscuits and bread pudding so I’m used to eating when I’m running, I do get hungry.
How do you manage to eat and run?
Well you only have a little bit, it’s just to keep you going along. It’s very different with off-road racing because you walk some sections and have to negotiate stiles and such like.
Do you see yourself running till you drop ?
Yes, well I doubt I’ll be running to the end, but I think that when I start to find it hard I’ll drop to half marathons and then I’ll probably turn to walking.
Have you got any top tips if you’re going to run your first ever marathon?
Just try, don’t ever go for a good time, if you have to walk you have to walk, but you’re not failing, you’re still moving forward.
Danielle Sellwood, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
