Marathoner, 90, Trains For Record
Gladys 'Glady-ator' Burrill To Racewalk Her 5th Marathon
HONOLULU -- Thousands of runners are training for the Honolulu Marathon, which is in three weeks.KITV's Dick Allgire met a 90-year-old great-grandmother who is training to set a world record.
Gladys Burrill is in training for her fifth Honolulu Marathon.
In 2003 Burrill saw the fireworks at the start of the marathon from her lanai, and thought: "How exciting! I should do that."
So she trained in racewalking and now she's going for a record.
"Well, I plan to break the world record for women between 90 and 94 years of age," she said.
She hopes to finish the marathon in eight hours and 30 minutes.
Gladys is nicknamed the Glady-ator."
Oh, it is exhilarating, even though back about a mile you get kind of weary, when the finish line gets in sight it's so exciting," she said.
Burrill has been a pilot, she's climbed Mount Hood and has 22 great-grandchildren. Her advice?"
It's important to be athletic -- exercise and doing something, walking is the best.
Your attitude -- think positive and sometimes it might be hard to think positive, but you just do it."
That's not a bad athletic slogan. She'll do it beginning at 5 a.m. Dec 14 when runners line up on Ala Moana Boulevard for the Honolulu Marathon.
How truly awesome is this woman?
Whenever I spot an gray-haired lady running I always feel encouraged and oddly envious. Part of me is running now, in order to be that old lady who is still running and racing when I'm 90. I only hope to be active for the next 63 years and maybe one day I'll challenge the record I hope she sets next month.
Last year, during my first trail race - a Half Marathon put on by the VHTRC - I went out too fast, not knowing the hills that awaited me during the second half of the race. As I trudged up the endlessly steep hills, I tucked in behind a gray-haired woman who I very lovingly began to refer to as "Old Gray." I would guess that she was in her late 60s and slow and steady she ran up those hills.
At first, I ran after her because I couldn't let someone with gray hair beat me. However, as she pulled me along (yes, I give her most of the credit) I gained more respect for her and her strength. Rather than run after her because of my pride, my motivation for keeping up with her changed to inspiration. She was a strong woman and it felt like I would somehow disappoint her if I let her slip away. I chased after her for close to 5 miles.
About 2 miles from the finish line she pulled off to the side to encourage someone she knew who was still running the "out" part of the out-and-back section of the course. Without a word or any acknowledgement, I slipped by her and went on to a strong finish and a time much faster than I should have run.
I owe that race to "Old Gray" and I'm inspired by what she represents as an active woman regardless of her age (or hair color). I've seen her at other races once or twice and I saw her at the same trail race this year. She continues to run and when I see her I silently whisper, "Thank you."
So here's to "Old Gray" and the Glady-ator: They aren't striving for a life lived in motion, they are living their lives in motion. I'm going to try to catch them, if I can.
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