A 100-year-old Northland man is eyeing up his 176th parkrun in Gisborne this Saturday – and he's not stopping any time soon.
Colin Thorne told Breakfast this morning that it all began with "a little bit of running at 64".
Marathons, half-marathons and now 5km parkruns followed. Parkrun "is a free, community event where you can walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate", the charity's NZ site explains.
"It's a mental thing to a certain stage," Thorne said. "I've always been positive and I've always kept myself fit.
"I worked hard when I was younger and once I retired, I just kept on being in sport all my life."
The decision to begin running came after decades of playing, coaching and refereeing hockey.
"When I got to the 60s I though [it] might be time to throw the whistle away before people said, 'oh, you're blind' or something.
"Then I though, well, I'm gonna do something for myself.
"From then on, it just snowballed really."
Thorne said he "used to love running" but his parkruns are closer to walking now.
"The old hips are gone and everything, but I always look back and say 'well, it's all self-inflicted'. Been a long journey."
To prepare for his events, the centenarian goes to the gym three days a week for an hour each time.
"Stuff that I can manage, you know, not like great big heavy weights or anything," he said.
"Then I go in the swimming pool and I do water running... Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
"Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, I walk, and then on Sunday I go to church and I have a day off."
He gets a "tremendous" response from people, Thorne added.
"Last weekend there was the biggest turnout in Whangārei they've ever had, it was marvellous really.
"All the celebrities were there like the MP and the mayor.
"For a country boy, just really humbled actually," he said.
"That's been my goal all my life, is to make people get out and do something.
"We're gonna carry on and try do a few more around New Zealand 'til the time says to give up and I can go and sit and watch."
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