A MINUTE for every year Leslie Ion has lived gives him 80 minutes to run 10 kilometres on Sunday.
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The Surf Beach resident, who celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday, has been training for The Canberra Times Fun Run for six months and wants to finish in 80 minutes.
At 50, Mr Ion did the same course in 48 minutes.
Although not confident of getting his desired time, Mr Ion is sure he will finish the run.
“My doctor, five years ago, said my blood pressure was getting high and told me to exercise,” he said.
“I used to go walking and then I started cycling to Batemans Bay, but I found that took too long.
“I thought it would be quicker to jog along the beach.”
Mr Ion started running just 20 paces, but was soon running for 50 minutes.
“I thought, if I am going to run more seriously, I should have a focus, so I singled out The Canberra Times Fun Run for my 80th birthday.
“This has been three years in the making.”
He first timed a 10 kilometre run six months ago.
“It took me one hour and 45 minutes,” he said.
“I thought, ‘105 minutes doesn’t compare very well with 80’, so I started to speed up.
“I have run 10 kilometers in 78 minutes, but I normally run it in about 80.
“I would be happy with just three seconds inside the 80 minutes.”
His training route is from his home to Denhams Beach.
“I run along the beach a couple of times,” Mr Ion said.
“If the tide is low, I run all the way to Wimbie Beach.”
Since beginning to exercise, Mr Ion has noticed a difference in his health.
“I am breathing a lot better,” he said.
“At first, you get tired, breathless and unmotivated.
“But I certainly feel a great deal better than before.”
Mr Ion had originally hoped to raise $400 for the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, in honour of a family friend who passed away, but has already raised four times that amount.
“I have got to $1600,” he said.
“I wasn’t expecting anyone to donate extravagantly, but people were much more generous than we thought.”
If he does not finish within 80 minutes, Mr Ion will try again in 10 years.
“My plan B will be to try again at 90 and take advantage of the extra 10 minutes.
“I’m not feeling confident at all; I will finish the run but whether I complete it in 80 minutes or less is another thing.
“The Canberra course is up hill for a considerable distance.”
Mr Ion said he would not back up the Canberra run with the Moruya Town to Surf Fun Run at the end of the month.
“I think I will just rest on my laurels for another 10 years,” he said.
Family and friends will be at the event in personalised shirts to cheer Mr Ion on.
“The shirts have ‘1935’, which is my birth year, and ‘grumpy old man support team’ written on them.”
Visit https://ctfunrun2015.everydayhero.com/au/leslie to donate to the cause.