Major milestone:

Breaking the 3:30 barrier at Copenhagen Marathon May 2025. At almost 57 years old, this is my best marathon time in over 39 years, from when I was just a teenager.

What is the secret to your success?

A combination of sensible training avoiding placing too much stress on my body. I factored in rest days and off-road and hill variations for strength, together with sound nutrition (my wife bakes excellent Danish rye bread, which is packed full of fibre and seeds).

What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it?

Time. Constraints of a full time job and the need to allow adequate time for the family and home.

The trick is to strike a good balance and by avoiding putting too much pressure on yourself through overtraining.

What is the most rewarding part of training?

To know that you are following a plan and that every run is a step closer to achieving the goal. And then when you get to the taper period, you know that the job is basically done and you just have the victory lap to look forward to!

What advice would you give to other members of the Runcoach community?

Be disciplined and patient. With time the results will come, you’ll see. And when it comes to Marathon Day, just go out there and enjoy yourself. You have put a lot of time and energy Into this, as well as the cost, so revel on the glory of hard-earned “me time”.

Anything else you would like to share?

At Copenhagen, I knocked off 35 minutes in just 18 months since taking up running again in my mid 50’s and entering city marathons starting with Dublin in 2023. I felt free like nothing would stop me - the first time I felt like this since I was just 17 doing my first marathon. You are never too old to start running again, so long as you believe that you can do it and are prepared to work hard to achieve results.

What feedback would you offer on the Runcoach experience?

The coaching from Coach Cally was first class. Always supportive and full of wise advice from her depth of experience as an athlete and coach.

Tom’s drill routines also work a treat and even before a marathon just to loosen things up before the big start.

Active exercise to engage the hips, quads, hamstrings and glutes before a run. Watch on YouTube.

Major milestone:

Ran first Marathon at age 66!! Finished 4th in my age group and ran much faster than I expected.

What is the secret to your success?

Set a goal, secured a good coach (Runcoach Cally Macumber), followed a solid training program, stayed persistent.... AND FAMILY SUPPORT was critical! It was also helpful to have a purpose bigger than myself--running as part of the American Cancer Society "DETERMINATION" Team.

What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it?

Lack of confidence. How to overcome: Begin early, take each day as it comes, be aware of your body, be disciplined in training and celebrate your strength and endurance improving every day.

What is the most rewarding part of training?

Enjoying each run, being outside, celebrating as my strength and endurance improved.

What advice would you give to other members of the Runcoach community?

Begin early, take each day as it comes, set realistic goals, be aware of your body, be disciplined in training and celebrate your strength and endurance improving every day. Also, RunCoach was very helpful. 

Anything else you would like to share?

If you're at all interested, JUST DO IT!! When working full time and raising a family, I never felt I could dedicate the time needed to train for a full marathon. So its a miracle at my age that I was able to finish, with no injuries!

High knee lift isn’t just for sprinters, distance runners need it too. The rhythm skip drill is a good way to strengthen your hip flexors and improve coordination. By combining lift with forward motion, this drill encourages better flexibility and helps lengthen your stride over time. Watch on YouTube. 

Carioca is a dynamic drill that trains your body to move powerfully. By crossing one leg over the other while moving laterally, this drill challenges coordination, improves hip mobility, and enhances balance. For runners, Carioca is especially useful for engaging the core and activating the muscles around the hips and glutes, key for maintaining stability and efficiency on every stride when fatigue sets in. Watch on YouTube. 

Butt kicks do more than just stretch your quads, they help prepare them to stay strong and active throughout your run. This drill targets the front of the thigh, which plays a key role in knee lift and running speed. Quads often fatigue late in long races, making it harder to lift your feet and maintain form. Butt kicks help keep these muscles flexible, engaged, and ready to power you through the finish line, without the shuffle! Watch on YouTube. 

Your run stride should feel strong and springy - that’s where bounding comes in. This explosive drill focuses on developing power through your stride by exaggerating your running motion. Bounding strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, and calves while improving coordination. It teaches your body to push off the ground with more power, translating into a more efficient, faster, and stronger running stride. Watch on YouTube. 

Think quick and high: “As high as you can, as fast as you can.”  That’s the rhythm behind the high knees drill. This dynamic movement fires up your hip flexors, activates your core, and improves leg turnover - all while reinforcing powerful knee drive. When done consistently, high knees help translate speed and efficiency directly into your running form, making your stride more explosive and controlled. Watch on YouTube. 

Just like toe walking strengthens your calves and feet, heel walking shifts the focus to the front of the lower leg - specifically the shin muscles. This drill activates the tibialis anterior, a key muscle for foot control and stability during running. Regularly practicing heel walking can help improve ankle mobility, reinforce proper foot mechanics, and play an important role in preventing shin splints, a common issue among distance runners logging serious miles. Watch on YouTube. 

Think 100-meter strides are only for sprinters? Think again. Whether you train for the 5K, 10K, half marathon, or a full marathon, strides are one of the simplest and most powerful tools you can use to become a stronger, more efficient runner.

Strides teach your body how to run fast with good form. Each short burst is a chance to focus on posture, turnover, and speed. Done consistently, they reinforce better mechanics that carry over into your easy runs, tempo workouts, and race day performance.

They’re short. They’re fun. And yes, they work! Watch on YouTube.