Marathon running has become a sweeping global trend where age is no barrier

A gruelling 42.2 kilometre test of mental and physical strength has become a new box tick for some Aussies who are part of a sweeping global trend – and age is no barrier.

Anne Boyd’s passion for running went from zero to 100 as soon as she crossed the finish line of her first marathon in Melbourne 10 years ago.

“That buzz was something I’d never experienced before. I knew from that moment on I would be hooked,” the 78-year-old said.

The Sydneysider, who refers to herself as “an old-aged adrenaline junkie”, set herself the goal of running six major world marathons before she turned 80.

She’ll achieve that remarkable feat this September, when she crosses the finishing line in Berlin.

And she’s far from being alone. The world over, from east to west and across the generations, more and more people are lacing up to experience the unique mix of agony and exultation that comes from long-distance running.

Anne Boyd during the 2017 New York City Marathon.

Anne Boyd during the Melbourne Marathon in 2014.

Last year alone, attendance records were smashed at the Paris, Berlin and New York marathons, while registrations boomed by more than 40 per cent for the London event and nearly doubled for the Vancouver race.

In China, more than 30 marathons were staged nationwide in a single weekend last November, drawing more than 450,000 runners from around the globe.

Anne Boyd during the Tokyo Marathon in 2024.

Anne Boyd during the Chicago Marathon in 2024.

Stars including Colin Farrell, Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Connelly and Carrie Bickmore have all caught the run bug, but clearly, for anyone to willingly put their body through the pain of running 42.2 kilometres non-stop, something more powerful than mere celebrity influence must be at play.

The question arises: what is it? Why are we suddenly so mad for marathons?

Many think the Covid-19 pandemic has something to do with it.

At a time when gyms were shut and contact sports were a no-no, running presented itself as a simple, open-air exercise available to people of all abilities.

Carrie Bickmore doing the Great Wall of China Marathon.

Carrie Bickmore completed the Great Wall of China Marathon.

Australian government survey data shows the number of adults who run suddenly boomed: from 3.4 million in 2019 to 4.2 million in 2020.

Others think the pandemic played another role in running’s surging popularity.

Professor Kevin Masters from the University of Colorado told the US radio current affairs program The World that distance running in a group offers a sense of coming together for people still reacting to the loneliness many faced during Covid.

It’s a feeling with which many runners can identify.

“With long distance you connect with other people, because it’s a journey,” Ms Boyd said.

“That’s why I love the long marathons so much, because it’s always a journey – it’s so much more than just running around lap after lap.”

Anne Boyd after completing the London Marathon in 2019.

Boyd ran the 2018 Boston Marathon in blizzard conditions.

There can be a downside, of course, with all those extra legs pounding the footpath.

“I got quite cross at times because all my running spots where I practice my long runs were suddenly congested, but it’s wonderful to see,” Ms Boyd said.

“I’d never seen so many people out running – during lunch times, early mornings on weekends – there they all were and forming into little groups.”

But the ranks of runners are set to grow further, with Sydney joining Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York as the seventh world marathon major this year, after a sold-out 2024 race.

Marathon runners Glenn Lockwood, 61, Anne Boyd, 78, and Giorgia De Paoli, 27. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Giorgia De Paoli ran her first marathon in Sydney in 2023 and, while tough, she was hungry to do more, tackling a 50km ultra trail last year in the Blue Mountains.

“Running is never competitive for me, I never cross that finish line and think about who beat me or who I beat, it’s very much self fulfilling,” the 27-year-old said.

“A marathon is not easy for me but when you cross that finish line, you realise that everything you have worked for until that point has paid off and the satisfaction of knowing you can push your body to those kinds of limits is a feeling that encourages you to do it again, or pushes you to do a longer race next time.”

Giorgia De Paoli ran her first marathon in 2023.

Giorgia De Paoli after completing the Sydney Marathon.

“Doing it again” could be Glenn Lockwood’s motto: this year’s Sydney marathon will be his 300th overall.

The 61-year-old, who runs with the Sydney Striders, said running has also been a way to stave off health issues.

“It doesn’t matter if you run a good or bad race, as long as you finish the race, you get the same medal as the person who won – everyone’s a winner,” he said.

Glen Lockwood is hoping to run his 300th race in 2025.

Glen Lockwood started running 20 years ago.

He weighed 100kg before he took to the track and said he was spooked into action after his friend, who was around the same age and same weight, suffered a heart attack.

“(My doctor) told me that if I didn’t do anything about my lifestyle, in 10 years’ time I’d probably be about 120kg and looking at risk of type two diabetes, stroke and a potential heart attack,” he said.

He has been running away from that scary prospect ever since, racking up more than 12,000km in marathons and ultra trails in the past 20 years.

Ms Boyd said there was a growing number of people who chose to run to prevent health issues in her club and among her age group.

“No one wants to die when they don’t have to or before they have to,” she said.

Originally published as Marathon running has become a sweeping global trend where age is no barrier