The over-60 couple who ran 366 marathons
<p>If you’re thinking it’s tough to get to the gym in the morning, be inspired by the over-60s couple who ran 366 marathons every day for a year and a day.</p><p>Most Australians thought they were crazy, but Janette Murray Wakelin, 64, and her husband, Alan Murray, 68, are cut from a different cloth. The remarkable pair spent all of last year in their Vibram 5-finger shoes (to run as near to barefoot as possible) on roads and dirt tracks around Australia.</p><p>While most of us make New Year’s resolutions and then forget about them once February hits, Janette and Alan were committed to theirs – to run around the country completing a marathon a day. They ran more than 15,000 kilometres, with no day off.</p><p>They had a message to deliver and they wanted to do it in such a way that people would stand up and pay attention. And they did. Their story was splashed across the country as Aussies woke up to the fact that age really is just a number and your body can do remarkable things at any age, even with sustenance that would leave most of us contemplating an after-dinner snack.</p><p>The couple wanted to inspire and motivate others to the benefits of good, clean living, with a healthy diet and plenty of physical activity. Strong advocates of a raw, vegan, plant-based diet, they kept their energy up with fruits, salads, smoothies and juices.</p><p>“The main benefit of a raw, plant-based diet on ageing is that there is no ageing! We’ve experienced that you get younger every day, have more vitality and energy, and, of course, no health issues,” Janette explains.</p><p>“Since living a 100 per cent conscious lifestyle with a raw, plant-based diet, we have not had the need to go to a doctor, clinic or hospital, nor take any drugs, stimulants or pain killers. We have increased clarity of mind, our eyesight and hearing have improved, and our physical fitness has increased. We have more vitality and energy now than when we were in our 20s!”</p><p>While the couple have always had a healthy diet and enjoyed running, they made more lifestyle changes after Janette was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer about 13 years ago. She started eating raw vegan food and in six months she was cleared of the cancer. The couple decided to run around Australia to inspire and motivate others to make conscious lifestyle choices and to raise environmental awareness for a sustainable future.</p><p>“We wanted to get the positive message out to as many people for as long as possible and we thought that running a marathon a day for a year would attract attention to what is possible if you live a conscious lifestyle,” Janette says.</p><p>At the end of 2013, Janette and Alan had run about 15,782 kilometres. To kick off 2014 in the same way they’d started 2013, they ran one more marathon on January 1, setting a new world record for the most consecutive marathons. Their story is one that will inspire anyone of any age, since you’re never too old (or too young) to achieve optimal health and wellbeing.</p><p>During their mammoth endeavour, the pair dodged a cyclone, floods, a bushfire and a hail storm in Perth, where they took a quick break and downed a vegetable smoothie before continuing on their way. While there were moments where they rethought what they were doing, they passed swiftly with the thunderclouds.</p><p>“We did have our moments but it was mostly to do with the weather. When it was over 44 degrees or in the extreme cold, with freezing hail and high winds,” she says.</p><p>What got them through was a dedication to their goal, their message and the mental clarity that has come with eating a plant-based diet.</p><p>“Having increased clarity of mind enables us to focus more clearly and setting a goal with purpose gives us a reason to keep going, even if the going gets tough,” Janette says. “Having the passion behind the purpose, such as the positive message of conscious living through kindness and compassion to all living beings for your own health, the health of others, including children, animals, people with disabilities and/or health concerns, and the elderly, gives you the strength to discipline the mind.”</p><p>Would they do it again? No. But that doesn’t mean they’re slowing down. “We’ve been there and done that, and we’ve proved our point. We do, however, keep running every day when we can, we continue to eat a raw, vegan, plant-based diet and think consciously about our lifestyle choices. Why would we stop doing something that works?” she says.</p><p>For over-60s reading this story, Janette doesn’t suggest doing the same (as in run a marathon every day for a year!) but rather that what her and her husband have achieved physically, mentally and emotionally is an example of what can be done by anyone who lives a conscious lifestyle, sets a goal and believes in themselves.</p><p>“We are no different to any other grandparents who are genuinely concerned for the health and future of our children and grandchildren, for the welfare of animals and for the planet that we share with them,”.</p><p>“The key to achieving optimal health is to consciously choose to do so. We believe it is our responsibility as parents, grandparents and elders to live by example and it is our gift to future generations.” Janette concluded.</p>
