Older runners in Meru challenge assumptions about age and exercise

Older runners in Kenya’s central highlands are training three times a week through a Meru County athletics group, challenging local assumptions about age and physical activity. Members told Al Jazeera the routine has helped them improve their health, even as they pay their own transport costs and train without sponsorship.

Wanjiru Kamau, 82, runs five kilometres every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from her home in Mikumbune village in South Imenti Constituency, according to Al Jazeera. She joined the local athletics group in 2017 after a friend introduced her to it.

Kamau told Al Jazeera that neighbours initially mocked her for running at her age. She said regular exercise and drinking water had helped bring her blood pressure under control and ended muscle spasms she previously experienced.

A local chapter for older athletes

Kamau is among 80 members of the Meru chapter of Masters Athletics Kenya, a national network for athletes aged 60 to 100, Al Jazeera reported. The chapter operates in a county about 314 kilometres from Nairobi, an area tied to Kenya’s broader distance-running reputation.

Stephen Michubu Linguya, the chapter’s chairman, founded the Meru group in 2015, according to Al Jazeera. Linguya, from Muriri in Tigania East Constituency, said he wanted to bring back older people who had once enjoyed running and to set an example for younger generations.

Linguya told Al Jazeera that the group was formed after he saw older residents struggle with illness and inactivity. He linked the effort to concerns about conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes among people who had stopped moving regularly.

The athletes train on central fields when those spaces are available. Members travel between 10 and 50 kilometres to reach sessions, paying their own fares or walking when they cannot afford transport, Al Jazeera reported.

Costs, medals and guides

James Mworia, 73, of Uruku in South Imenti Constituency, told Al Jazeera that the group’s members rely on their own means to attend training. Mworia, who is married and has four children, competed at the African Masters Athletics competition in Tunisia in 2019 and returned with two silver medals.

Mworia said his health has improved since joining the group and that he now visits hospital only occasionally. He urged other older people to join the runners for fitness and health, according to Al Jazeera.

The group also includes athletes whose barriers extend beyond age. Protasio Mutuma Lichoro, 52, of Kiguchwa in Tigania East Constituency, is visually impaired and trains with help from his son, who serves as his guide on the track, Al Jazeera reported.

Lichoro told Al Jazeera that before joining the group he struggled to find a guide when he wanted to run. Training with a larger group has allowed him to take part more consistently and teach others how to guide visually impaired runners, he said.

County officials signal support

Elias Murega, Meru County’s executive committee member for youth, sports, gender and social development, told Al Jazeera the group shows that older people can remain active and disciplined. He said many lifestyle diseases and other conditions are linked to lack of exercise.

Murega also said the county government was ready to support the runners by creating public platforms where they can show their work, according to Al Jazeera.

For Kamau, the routine has become part of ordinary life. She told Al Jazeera she wants more older adults to exercise regularly so they can stay fit and healthy.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.