'Age is just a number' to 67-year-old runner

Jul 24, 2017 06:00 am

He has four grandchildren and enjoys practising Chinese calligraphy.

Mr Jimmy Poh, 67, is also an experienced runner who has literally gone the distance, having participated in various marathons in more than six countries, including Japan and China.

He owns a logistics company and started running as a school athlete.

Mr Poh will be taking part in this year's Safra Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon.

He will be running in the 21km event with the Safra running club, of which he is the oldest member, with the highest attendance for training sessions.

In commemoration of the upcoming 25th edition of the run, which will take place on Aug 20, an NS50 Team Run category has been added, exclusively for past and present operationally ready national servicemen from the Singapore Armed Forces.

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After the event, Mr Poh will still be taking on more runs this year, including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon.

Mr Poh, a runner of more than 50 years, believes "age is just a number".

Now, he trains with his club three times a week, completing 10km or circuit training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, followed by a 20km to 30km run on Sundays.

Mr Poh, who is able to run 5km in under 30 minutes, told The New Paper: "When you are of (advanced) age, you get a lot of pains and ailments. It is our own responsibility to take care of our health."

Evidence of this belief is reflected in Mr Poh's clean bill of health and lack of sports injuries, which he credited to correct running patterns and comfortable shoes.

He also recounts his most unforgettable feats overseas, including in Hong Kong in 2001, as a participant of the Oxfam Trailwalker hiking marathon.

Said Mr Poh: "We had to cover a 100km route that included six to seven hills under 48 hours and we did it in 32 hours.

"Three months before (that), we trekked through the MacRitchie (Nature Trail and Reservoir Park) every Saturday from 3pm to 7am the next day."

His best time for a 42km marathon - five hours and two minutes - was clocked at the Gold Coast in Australia in 2004.

Though supportive of Mr Poh, his family members worry about his extensive fitness regimen.

Mr Poh, who has three children, said: "Sometimes they show me articles about runners collapsing halfway through a run, and ask me not to run so much."