Parkrunners Podcast
Parkrunners Podcast shares real stories from the global parkrun community—runners, walkers, and volunteers whose lives have been transformed by movement and connection. Hosted by Catherine Stenson, each episode celebrates courage, belonging, and the quiet power of showing up.
Parkrunners Podcast
Is parkrun the Ultimate Longevity Habit? - Tim Howe, Founder of The Longevity Games
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We all want to live longer. But perhaps the better question is... how do we live better?
This week on the Parkrunners Podcast, Catherine is joined by Tim Howe, founder of The Longevity Games, former parkrun Run Director, passionate volunteer, and someone who believes that healthy ageing isn't about expensive gadgets or miracle supplements—it's about movement, community and purpose.
With 235 parkruns, 122 volunteer credits and years spent inspiring others to become more active, Tim shares why he believes parkrun may be one of the greatest public health initiatives of our time.
Together they discuss:
🏃 Why parkrun is about far more than running
💛 The surprising connection between community and longevity
🙌 How volunteering can be just as rewarding as taking part
💪 Why functional fitness matters as we age
👴 The remarkable lessons Tim learned from his grandfather, who lived independently until the age of 97
🌍 His mission to help more people enjoy healthier, happier and more connected lives through The Longevity Games
Whether you're chasing a PB, walking your first parkrun or simply looking for inspiration to move a little more, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and uplifting stories.
Because getting older doesn't have to mean slowing down.
🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.
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Think of it as a bit like A-Ray ski when you go skiing. Okay? Because everybody's on the same slopes or everybody's done the same run, but you're all buzzing afterwards. It doesn't matter how long it takes you, you're all having a cup of coffee or a cake afterwards and you're all feeling great because you've achieved something on a Saturday morning. But are you functionally fit? You might be aerobically fit, but are you functionally fit? And what we are finding is that a lot of people are coming into it going, Oh, I thought I was strong. And actually, it's yeah, I wouldn't say it's a wake-up quiz, more of a an eye-opening moment. I started to look into longevity, and one of the things that stood out to me was a thing called VO2 Maths, what is the bigger picture? And I think as a society and as a and as a world at the moment, and I talk to counsellors about this, I talk to MPs, GPs, there has to be a different narrative moving forward. We can't just keep throwing money at the medical side of all this. No, we can't keep doing that because it's not going to work. It's short-term fixed. We can't just keep putting the plaster over these things. When I talk about that VO2 bit, right? I I I still pinch myself. I present that to GPs. Right? I presented it last year to 96 trainee GPs, and they turned around and said to me, Why are we not taught this? Yeah. So I was very, very, very lucky to meet um the founder not long ago. Um he came to a genius. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Really humbling listening to him. I'd have the pleasure of spending time with him. Um first thing I would do for anybody is start a park. Park run's your starting point. And it's never too late.
SPEAKER_04And this week's episode, we're exploring a question that's becoming more important than ever. And it's how do we not just live longer, but live better? My guest today is someone who is dedicating much of his life to helping people stay active, connected, healthy at every stage of life. Tim Howe is the founder of the Longevity Games, one of the UK's most inclusive fitness events, and a passionate advocate for the idea of that movement, community, and purpose are essential ingredients for healthy aging. He's also a familiar face in the parkrun world because Tim is a former run director. Um, has completed, I think it's 235 parkruns, volunteered on 122 occasions, and boasted an impressive PB of 17 minutes and 53 seconds. If any of that is slightly inaccurate, I'm sure Tim is going to be able to correct it. But perhaps more importantly, he's experienced firsthand what so many of us know to be true. A parkrun isn't simply about running, it's about friendship, belonging, giving back, and creating habits that can enrich our lives for years to come. So today we talk about Tim's own parkrun journey, the story behind the longevity games, and why community matters so much, whether that's parkrun or what is soon to be one of Britain's biggest longevity um habits. Tim, it's a real pleasure to welcome you to the Parkrunners podcast. Where are you joining us from today?
SPEAKER_00Catherine, first of all, thank you very much for inviting me. Um I'm over here in Swindon. So Swindon's in the south uh southwest of England. Um so with Sandwich, I'd probably say between Oxford and Bristol, right in the middle between the two. So yeah, in the southwest.
SPEAKER_04Well, it's it's it's a real pleasure to have you here. And let's start by just um casting your mum back to how did you first get introduced to Parkrun?
SPEAKER_00Um I got introduced to parun by a friend. This one I used to live in Newbury, and uh a friend of mine I used to train with, and he recommended that I come along to my first ever park run was in Basingstoke. So that's in Hampshire. Um, I think it was probably at the time, I think there was only about 25 part runs in the UK. Um, so that's my first ever one. Um I'm trying to catamine what year it was. I know my child wasn't born, so it was probably going back 2008, 2007, something like that. Yeah, yeah, and it was one of those cases where nobody knew where to park. Um, you saw a few people just wandering around and you'd go and ask somebody, whereas nowadays I think when you're going up to a part run, you just see everybody gathering and you see everybody in the masses, in their shorts and t-shirts, or in their running in the air, with with branded part run, you know, um products, and you just you just follow the masses. So it was very early days. But to me, it was fantastic, you know, it's one of those things in life it goes, wow, what what an experience.
SPEAKER_04Wonderful. And like so, 2008 is obviously, as you say, very early days, because that's roughly about four years after the whole kind of thing kicked off as a part-time trial in um Bushie in the UK. Um, how did how did Parkrun then kind of establish itself as a sort of regular part of your life? Did that happen straight away, or was that more of a journey?
SPEAKER_00Um I think for me it was uh it was at the time I was I think I was training for doing triathlons and it was a really good, it was a really good speed exercise for me. So I used it as part of my training um to test myself. Um so that would be part of my weekly weekly run-in. Um, but the big thing for check that changed for me is when I moved from Newbury to Swindon um with my family um in 2013. And because I was doing part run and I'd made a bunch of friends because that by which time there was a part run in Newbury, I'd made a bunch of friends there. One of the things I realized when I moved to Swindon, I would prove myself into part run, the local part run. Because as soon as I did that, you made friends, you make another more connections. And to be honest, that's that's where it kind of my my friendship started to grow within Swindon and my community I started to be part of. Um yeah, so I I think I knew that myself because I'd already been involved, and you're with like-minded people on a Saturday morning. You know, it's I always say uh the thing I always say when I'm when I'm selling park runs to everybody, is think of it as a bit like Apry ski when you go skiing. Okay? Because everybody's on the same slopes or everybody's done the same run, but you're all buzzing afterwards. It doesn't matter how long it takes you, but you're all having a cup of coffee or a cake or afterwards, and you're all feeling great because you've achieved something on a Saturday morning and you feel that sense of achievement.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I and I know exactly what you feel, and I haven't actually had anybody explain it like après ski, but as somebody who also enjoys to ski, I I totally see where you're coming from with that now. Because there is that sort of like moment of analysis and um like how you manage to get on, and you know, whether it's a slope or whether it's you know a circuit of of park run. Um it is fun, like just talking about how it felt from one week to the next. And you're clearly somebody who's um like you can run very fast and you've been able to use it as a speed training, but so many other people are able to use it either to walk, yeah, so um totally and now it isn't.
SPEAKER_00I mean, yeah, I do push myself, but for me it's the social side. Um I love the sum up the the camaraderie around it. I look I actually quite enjoy doing the pacing. Um so if there's normally a a pace, I'd just like to point out my PB was over 10 years ago, so I I I'm not achieving that anymore, honestly. I I can I've got once under 20 minutes this year, so um I I have my benchmark now. So um, but yeah, it's yeah, I'm nowhere near those sort of speeds now at all.
SPEAKER_04Um yeah, and but I think the P the the PBs are whether your PB is 50 minutes or 17 minutes or whatever, it's it matters and it should really only matter to you. Yeah, yeah, in a way, because um parkrun is I think it's so deliberately inclusive to allow people of whatever fitness age and stage you find yourself at to extract something valuable from it, whether it's merely the habit of showing up and been able to whether walk, run, or jog a 5k, you still have to cover that distance and it's good for us, you know. Yeah. So you, Tim, you've also spent um quite a bit of time as run director. Can you tell our listeners a little bit about which run you big were run director for and what that role really has involved for you?
SPEAKER_00So one of the things that stood out to me um when I moved to Swindon, I noticed Emma Sperring, who's the run director at Lydia's Park Run, because at the time it was Swindon Park Run, and then obviously now we've got two part runs in Swindon, so now it's become Lydiard Part Run. And I actually was going down regular, got to know them, I was pacing, doing a lot of volunteering because I enjoy that side of it as well. It's about it's about that giving back. And there was one time her mum was there, and I was chatting to her and she was, oh yeah, I'm I'm Emma's mum. I said, Oh, right, it says um you must find it hard to see Emma. Then she says, I I hardly see Emma. Um, and then it was a time when the junior part run was started, and Emma was involved in that. And I and she says, and if she does come down to me, it's it has to be after part run, and then she comes down for a day and then goes home the next day. And I looked at her and I went, she's dedicating her life to this, and I thought, yeah. I just turned around to her and says, Do you want I'll happily do a part run? I just did it once a month, and I said, I'll be the first ever Saturday first Saturday of every month. I says, You know, if you want to go and see your mum or if you want to go and do something, you know, every first Saturday of the month you're covered, and then on and then every now and again, if she's asked to can you do the odd one? And I loved it. For me, I don't mind the standing up in front of people um on the microphone or anything like that because yes, it's going out of my comfort zone, but I I don't mind that little bit. Um, but I I love to see the joy, the support, and seeing people. What I love most of all is seeing people that turn up like rabbit in the headlights, and then I go and find them afterwards and say, How did that feel? And the joy the the job satisfaction you get from that, and saying them, we'll see you next week, or have you tried that part run? Have you tried this part run? You're now part of us, you now become part of something, it's a global thing now. Um, and and that was really, really rewarding. So I did that for probably about four or five years, um, and then pandemic um happened, and then a few things changed uh for me personally. Um but yeah, but I'm still involved, you know. I still go along most a lot of weeks. I'll if they need volunteers, volunteers or pacing or anything like that, I'll happily do it. I'm a sort of personal to what you've got available, I'll help out, you know.
SPEAKER_04So yeah, I mean your your um involvement with Parkrun obviously extends beyond um the running it yourself because you have played a very active role in volunteering, and it sounds like you were a bit of a godsend to um Emma, who was uh you know doing a lot of this um run director role herself. So well done um on that, Tim. Look talking about um I guess Parkrun as a fitness initiative, because it has been described as one of the most successful health initiatives of the 21st century. In you know, and that that's been said in the UK, but probably it applies beyond that. What do you think makes Parkrun different from other fitness initiatives, Tim?
SPEAKER_00Um the inclusivity of it. That's the that's the bottom line. That that you it doesn't matter what your background is, what your ability is, and it's the it's how it's evolved and the three F's. Three for everyone, forever. Yeah, so I was very, very, very lucky to meet um the founder not long ago. Um he came to Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was uh really humble in listening to him. I'd I had the pleasure of spending time with him. Um he was talking about his book, We had a literature festival, and it's the ethos about inclusivity and supporting people, and that and it creates a community, and that's the one of the things that I personally am a big believer in community. Um I live and breathe it personally, um down to my neighbours, down to the people I work with, friends, family, you support people and you you help people, and you get far more in return by helping people than you would do by just sitting back. And I I think we've forgotten that in this day and age, and it's so nice to meet people that give up their Saturday morning. I see the same volunteers at the finish line, and these people don't run, they just enjoy, and you know, there's there's one gent on our on our local park runs called Colin, and it's Colin's Corner, and everybody runs past and says hello to Colin, you know, and we all know Colin, you know. It might be a two-minute conversation afterwards with his dog or whatever, but you know, we all know him. Um and it and it's fantastic, but that's for me was like it brought me in. I met lots of people, met a lot of like-minded people, and also on the back of that, I've made some lifelong friends as well.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and you know, you can't you can't actually um ask for more than that, and it's it's in a way, it's not that surprising that once people do get introduced to Parkrun and they start having those experiences. Hey, uh you're right, I think in so many aspects of life, people have lost um that sense of community, and there's a lot of loneliness and isolation. And uh people people who have found parkrun, whether it's to you know to walk it or volunteer, as you say, every single parkrun in the world, I think, probably has a core group of volunteers who don't, as you say, run. But they are so up for being there every week. And it's got to be because they get something from it too. Like you're you you you're saying you got something and get something from volunteering. I volunteer um, you know, um some weeks as well at at Bushy, and I love it, you know, been in the funnel chatting to people or scanning barcodes, and you do get something different from those weeks that you're you're you're not running, and it's equally valuable. Um so you talked about friendships there, uh Tim. I'd love you to like expand on that. You know, how how how woven into your life um has Parkrum become and like how did the friendships that you've grown there evolve?
SPEAKER_00Um well one of the things that evolved for me is that you meet a running community. Um I'm from a running background, um and it evolved into people you start training with, people you start socialising with, and then for me it also um evolved into um how I train now. Um I'm all about training with people. I think you become more accountable and you turn up because it's easy for me for people and anybody to say I'm gonna train, and then you find an excuse not to do it. Um whereas if actually you're turning up with people, you turn up because you're accountable for it.
SPEAKER_04And the accountability actually, I mean, I'm not saying it has to be important to everybody, but if you do have a goal, um you you need a plan to get there and to achieve that goal. And the accountability becomes a really important step. So that is another thing that I probably don't think about often enough, but like because the park run is there every Saturday, whether you go or not, it slightly holds you accountable in in your mind. And I actually hate missing it now. If it doesn't feel like Satur the weekend is kicked off if if I don't include a park run, because it just feels like also if you're away, if you're away on holiday, you know. Yeah, I try I try and go places for a year.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, it's your Saturday morning, but you know, go and see I go and see my brother down in um Dorset, and I say to him, Are we going to a park room when I come down? You know, that's that's the topic of conversation, you know. And if and I'm I'm going to my brother's in September in Borough St. Edmunds. I've not done a park run that way. I'm gonna take that out of the box, you know. It's about finding people, and every time you go to a new location, you chat to people, they see a t-shirt, they see uh, you know, oh, where you're from. I always find it I try and always be like the tourists from the furthest away. And I I always get trumped by somebody from South Africa or Australia or something, you know, but it's all a bit of fun, you know, and that's where that's the joy of it.
SPEAKER_04And the Australians and South Africans, they're massive parkrun tourists. I've spoken to a few, and they honestly they seem like they're on a plane every other week just to take in.
SPEAKER_03I don't know we're in the way.
SPEAKER_04So, Tim, I'd love to come around to talking to you about this fantastic new initiative that you have kicked off called the Longevity Games. Um, where did the idea originate? And can you tell our listeners what is behind the longevity games for you?
SPEAKER_00Okay, so let's explain the event initially and and then I'll explain how it evolved. Um so the longevity games, um I like to call it probably the most inclusive fitness event in the country. Um now the reason I created it is um I over the years I've my training has evolved as I've got older. So I've come from a running background and then I've got into triathlon, um, I cycled Lanzention Grove, so I've done Iron Man, I've done all different, various different things. But as I've got older, I've got into functional fitness because what I want to do is give myself the best chance as I age. Okay? So from an aerobic capacity from the running side, but also the strength side and the functional things that we should be able to do as we age. Now I took part in lots of different functional events, but one thing that stood out to me is they were very strict, they were very intimidating, and also quite expensive. So and that really kind of got my especially with the ethical head of mine uh kicking in with regards to how the eFOS apart run is free for everybody and it's inclusive. And I was like, So I was going to these events and they're tough, but I love them, but it's like, but what about everybody else? Everybody else needs to be given a chance. So the concept is similar um as other functional fitness events, but the first thing we have done is we've taken all the pressure away. So that's one of the things that we talk about with part run, how inclusive it is. We want to make it and I say we because it's me and a team of nearly 80 volunteers behind me, and that's evolved. Um, and that's another story altogether, but and that's a community, and we talk about communities obviously with part run. This is what's happened here. Um wanted to take the pressure off people, and that's what you feel at part run. So if I I say to people, if you can't run, walk. Alright? Because you why should we say that you can't take part because you can't run, or you're not running yet, or you're coming back? Okay, so there's five stations, and before every station, you do a run around the running track. So we know we do it on the running track, and in the winter we do it indoors and an indoor tennis centre, okay? So, and because I'm not going to stand outside in the cold for four or five hours, okay? I'm gonna live in the real world. Um, but in in the so in in May and September we do it on the running track at the moment, and you either go once round the running track at novice, you'll go twice around the running track at intermediate, or three times around the running track at provision level before each station. Okay, so the first station is squats. So we get people to squat down either 25, 50, or 100 times, depending on what level they've entered. Okay? Why squats? Right, so one of the things we need to be able to do is to be able to live independently for as long as possible. The most important muscle group in our body to have strong is our legs. Because if we've got strong legs, you'll get out of bed, you'll get out of the chair, you'll get out the front door, and you'll socially interact. And you'll be independent. That's why we've got squats in there. Alright? The next station is lie down stand ups. Okay, so we've got some big mass. Gymnastic mats we put out, and you physically lie down on the floor and stand back up again. And it's either 10, 25, or 50 times. Okay? And you can use your arms to get yourself up. You can either do it. If some people are really, really good, they can do it without even putting their arms on the floor. If you get kids to do it, they can do it for you now. Why have we put that in there? Okay. So a few reasons. One, first of all, you should be able to get off the floor yourself comfortably. Alright? And we all should be able to do that. Number two, I'm 52 years old and I've got a 14-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter. I'm not going to be a granddad realistically until in my 70s now. Okay? Not by choice, you know. I didn't mean my wife so I was 29. Okay, it's just one of those things. But what do you visualize doing as a grandparent? Playing with your grandchildren on the floor.
SPEAKER_04Of course.
SPEAKER_00So if I can't do it now, how am I going to do it in 15, 20 years' time? So it's about those things that actually I want to invest in my future. So I can be a functionally involved grandparent. I want to teach them how to ride a bike, I want to take them swimming. Like my granddad used to do for me. Yeah?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00The next station is hand walkouts, or we call it an inchworm. You walk out on your hands, and what we're doing there is we're increasing people increasing people's shoulder strength, their arm strength, and their core stability. So you've got balance and you've got strength in your upper body. Okay? So giving you the ability to lift things, move things, and your own body weight as well. So we're doing it all own body weight exercises because as we evolve this, we want to duplicate it, but we want to duplicate it easily. So if we've got no equipment, it's easy. The next station is the lunge walk. Okay, so those two stations before you do 10, 25, or 50 repetitions, depending on what level you've entered, to your ability. So the lunge walk, the next one is lunge walk. You either do a 50-meter lunge walk, a hundred-meter lunge walk, or a two hundred metre lunge walk. This is where your legs feel like jelly afterwards, alright? When you start running and walking, okay. It reminds me of my new student triathlons, come off the bike and your legs are like, whoa! But why why have we got it in there? Now, is the fundamental reason we should be able to take our own body weight with one leg. So if I put in lunges in there, you're increasing your leg strength from a lunge point of view. Now you go as deep as you want to go, okay? So I go to the depth of my knees, which is the other the alternate knee to the floor. But why? One of the biggest problems we've got in this in this country worldwide is people falling over the age falling over over the age of 60 and breaking their hip. So if you've got the leg strength, first of all, the speed to get your leg out, and secondly, the strength to stop yourself falling over by putting your leg out and putting your hand out, which is where the hand walkouts come in handy, you've got a lot more ability. Now, we're not going to stop everybody falling over. Come on, I'm not saying that you know all of a sudden we've got we've got a miracle cure. If a dog runs out on you or you you trip over something, but if you've got the ability and you put this work in, you've got a better chance. So those that are Famington players, those that are squash players, because they're lunging all the time, their reflexes are really good. So it's about putting those fundamentals in. And for me, it's also understanding why. Yeah, why am I doing these things?
SPEAKER_04Yes.
SPEAKER_00And then the final station, okay, is that everyone loves to hate is the burpee step, burpee jump. Okay, and you either do 25, 50, or 100 meters, okay? But you do the burpee however you want to do the burpee. Okay, so it might be just go down to the floor, put your legs back, legs forward, and then take a step forward. Or you go for the full-range burpee, which is literally throw yourself to the floor and jump. Okay. Why have we got that in there? Number one, it's explosive. Okay, as we age, we slow down. But if you put explosives up into your training, you slow down slower. Yeah, so those so that. But secondly, it gives you a skill to get to the floor safely. Because as we age, the chance of falling over on when you're starting to feel faint and you're starting to feel a bit not sure, if you from Burpean, you know how to get to the floor safely without hurting yourself.
SPEAKER_04And Tim, this I mean, it's fascinating. So that's I really appreciate you outlining like all of the um exercises that you were working on and the why behind them, because I think that's so important. How frequently are the longevity games held? How are you going about involving people?
SPEAKER_00So we've yeah, so um last year we had five events. Um this year we got four. Um, I've gone to four because I've gone to one every quarter, and I found five just it was too much locally. Yeah, it was a bit overkill, and four ones a quarter is just nice every three months. And what I'm finding is people are using it as their fitness check. So they're just so what I find is people come along, do the event, and then they'll come and do the event again, and maybe just switch off their training a little bit, and they'll come back and it's like, oh, I did it easier last time. So it's a kid will check-in. That's what I'm finding the people doing. What I'm also finding is some people just stay at one level, which is great because they've come a level that suits them, but they might want to do it a little bit better next time, so they might find I end up walking a little bit, actually. Next time I want to make sure I run, and then they find they're actually aerobically getting fitter. But what we are finding is people maybe have come from a running background and they say, I've all I'll do is run, all I do is run. I go, Yeah, but that's fine, but are you functionally fit? You might be aerobically fit, but are you functionally fit? And what we are finding is that a lot of people are coming into it going, oh, I thought I was strong. And actually, it's I wouldn't say it's a wake-up quiz, more of a an eye-opening moment of go, oh I now understand I actually am. And they put on the next day, I mean I messed with some of the people, go, How's your dumbs? How's your legs? You know, how are you feeling the next day? They go, Oh my goodness, I'm aching in place I didn't even know I could ache. But that's the whole point of it. You know, it's about waking up and going understanding what's it gonna do for me. I started looking into longevity, and one of the things that stood out to me was a thing called VO2 Max. Okay? You've heard of VO2max?
SPEAKER_03I have.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so and anybody who doesn't, it's basically it's the capacity that you've got as you breathe in that the fitter you are, the higher your VO2 is.
SPEAKER_04Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Now, why is that important? Um, this is explaining why we get people running and why part run's so important to this speech this nation and the world, okay. As we get fitter, your VO2 will go through the roof, okay, and you get fitter and fitter. And you make really good gains very early on if you haven't trained for a while, okay. But what happens is when you get to 40, around about 40 years old, you start losing 10% of that capacity every decade. That's why you slow down, okay? Because we're aging. Why is that important? Well, there's an independence line. When you get to the VO2 of 18 as a man and 16 as a woman, that's where you need help to get out of bed in the morning. You to independently live. So if you were losing 10% per decade, you know if you're around 40 and you can find your VO2. If anybody's got a smartwatch, then regular part runs will have a Samsung, an Apple, a Garmin, you will find your VO2 on there. But you can work backwards and you can start to look at actually where am I going to be when I'm I need to be in to be as independent as long as possible. But what's happening in societies because we are in a comfort crisis, because nowadays people don't run, don't actively live anymore so much as we used to because of jobs, because of screens, because of TV, because food gets delivered, all those things that we used to do, that our grandparents used to go and walk to the market, carry all their shopping back, used to wash by hand, used to cook by hand, all those things have been taken away. Our Ruby capacity is lower than it's ever been before. So that social care cost is going through the roof, and that independent living is getting younger and younger and younger. So that's why part run's so important. That's why we've got running in the longevity gain. So they've all got fundamental things, but that's why part run's fantastic because it interlinks with what we're doing.
SPEAKER_04And you know, it that's it's it's such an important point that um like being aware of these things now allows you to project and understand where where your longevity looks like it's it's it's headed for. And it's it's such a positive thing that you're doing though, um, I guess building that awareness, yeah. Um not just about like movement, but it's the why. Why would you want to do that? Um and I like I think that's um a fantastic initiative. But at the moment, it's something that you're doing in the um district of Swindon. Yeah. How many people have run through that programme? And do you see like potential for that to you know grow or extend in other parts of the UK and potentially beyond? Because this is this is almost like a global crisis we're in with how how lives and livelihoods have changed. And you're so right when you say we're doing less physical work, less need to move physically for our work than ever before.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and we're in a comfort crisis, you know. Um just to give you a few stats here in here in Swindon, because I'm because I'm doing it locally, I understand it locally. So 87% of the council's budget here in Swindon is spent on social care. Wow, last year that was 87%. Last year that was 85%. Ten years ago when I moved here, well I moved here 13 years ago, that was 60%. Alright? So we just had local elections. So the conversations that were all about get our potholes filled, we'll get the grass verges cut, all that no budget for it. It doesn't matter who's in who's in part who's in in power. These things are now the social care covers a lot. So let's just let's live in the real world. It doesn't just cover people at age, it covers foster care, it covers all a remit of different things, okay? But the other thing that's important is to understand that life expense in this country is 81, health expenses just drop from 63 to 61. Oh. Right? And pension age is now 67. So we see very worried. So this is this is the thing, is it's like so what's happening is it's impact as people so at 61 years old, people are getting underlying conditions that takes years and years and years of inactivity because that compound effect. Yeah, but you don't notice it, and that's that's why I'm on a I personally am on a mission to turn Swindon around. Okay, I I have a vision, and I say I say we because it's it's me and the volunteers. We want to make Swindon the fitness town the country and build a template to show this is what's possible. That's why I'm working with the council, that's why I'm working with GPs, I'm working with PTs, because it's like we all need to be on the same page, we all need to change the narrative about why we're throwing money at something. Actually, we need to forward think, we need to think 10-15 years ahead, we need to build something. So, where does the longevity games come from? Yes, it's come from the part run for me, but also I've been trained on a local basketball court for the last eight years, and as a group of us that that I've been running this with with a few people for the last eight years. Now that that has evolved. It was literally three of us working out on the field, we run it early in the morning on a Tuesday, Thursday morning. We don't charge a penny, and we've got a Facebook group of nearly 650 people on it now. It's just blowing my mind. But what what the whole ethos is, it doesn't matter what your ability is. First of all, at six o'clock in the morning, we don't care how bad how good or how bad you are, because we're off to anyway. But everybody's welcome, and that same ethos I've brought to the longevity games. So our next stage is age or you know yeah, well, but but I I mean the longevity games is from 16 years up, and that's only because because of public liability insurance at the moment. I've been I'm getting asked all the time, can we get do it with kids? It isn't my day job. So at the moment, I haven't got the capacity to do all this. It's I've got it off my own off my own time, but I've got a day job. I sell footlift trucks for a living, you know. This isn't my day job, but I want to be able to do this more and more and more to help more people. And like I say, it's bringing if your parents are active, you tend to be active. I got into running because my dad used to run marathons, so I used to go running with him, and he inspired me. I look back now, and my granddad inspired me now. You know, it's all these little things that you follow on, but it's it's about getting people predominantly the people that come and do our event are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, because that's the age where the suddenly you realize you're hit with problems or you're curtailed in some way to injury or illness.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_04So, Tim, what practical advice might you give to listeners who want to improve their long-term health, who may not have had the good fortune, if you like, of seeing a parent or a friend who's invested in good health, say like your dad did? But there are swathes of people out there who haven't grown up around movement and activity. So we feel like it feels like we've maybe lost a generation or two. What can what can these people do who want to maybe just take that first step and they're not living in Swindon where you know you have these amazing longevity games. I'm sure that would be such a um hit in many other places. Um, what's your advice for those people?
SPEAKER_00First thing I would do for anybody is start a part. Part run's your starting point.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00That that there's no question of it. I know we're on a part run podcast and a thing like that, but it's a starting point because you don't ever feel intimidated. Because I think I think one of the things that we always associate is everybody has to go to a gym, right? Gyms have their place. I have lots of gyms that come along and take part in my event, lots of commercial gyms, lots of private gyms, lots of PTs, but that's quite can be quite intimidating. It can also be quite costly. Okay. So it's about finding something for them. So one thing that's evolving with part run, and I and I understand all this, is part runs are starting to involve in socially deprived areas where people can't get to the places. So the starting point is find your part run. Secondly, get out the front door. The moment you step out the front door, you're gonna first of all, you're moving, you're breathing fresh air, and you'll probably talk to somebody. You know, it's about finding that community for you. So for at our event, I invite as many clubs as possible. So at our last event we had softball down, we've had pickleball down, we've had martial arts uh clubs down, boxing clubs, um, random elevation aerial fitness, these are like a fitness group that do things on silks and on on um hula hoops and that kind of thing. Because it's about finding that community for you. It's not necessarily a gym, it might not be that community, it might be a running club. We're very lucky here in Sunday, we've got massive lots and lots of running clubs. Running clubs aren't expensive. It might be pickable, it might be a walk-in group, it might be a social group, but it's about finding something that works for you. Just because the the narrative is I must go to a gym, might not be the right for you. It's about trying something that will work for you that you click, and that moment will be this works for me. It might be a bowling club, it might be, you know, but you all of a sudden things start to feel better, so you find you can move better, which then lifts your spirits. It's that vicious circle, it's that vicious circle where people, I feel rubbish, so I'm not gonna go out the door, I might not eat well, I feel rubbish, I'm not gonna go out the door. Well, actually, if you go out the door, I feel a bit better. Oh, I'll I'll probably eat a bit of fruit now. Or you know, it's it's yeah, it's turning that dial slightly. Now it could be some people have that moment where it might be diet initially, and then fitness comes into it afterwards, or it might be somebody who finds fitness first and then the diet comes into it. They both are working together or against each other, but the compound effect of doing all these things the right way, and it's never too late. That's the one thing I think, Catherine, you probably interview people that have come into heart run later in life and go, wow, and it changed their life.
SPEAKER_04Well, I mean, they I've had a couple of septuagerians on the on the um show. One has ran in the first London Marathon, yeah, and she's still running marathons. She ran the Brighton Marathon this year and she's 71.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Incredible um stuff because she's just kept on moving. Yeah. And even even though she's had gaps in between, like in terms of those long distance running, she just likes to remind herself that her body is still able to do it because Parkrun does definitely support healthy aging. Um, every every July, the first Saturday of July at Bushy Park, there's the octagenarians and nonagenarians event, and they invite people from all over, you know, to come and you know join their peers. And it's a wonderful, wonderful um morning to see those um you know elder members of our community, but some of them are still incredibly good runners and and and walkers, and and they all love it. They just love it.
SPEAKER_00It's just what people forget is I mean, I look at my granddad, right? When he passed away a couple of years ago, he was 97. Really? Yeah, and he independently lived up until the last three years, three months of his life. Okay, so he only really suffered the last three months of his life. Now, I'll take that every day of the week. Okay, we only found out that he always said, though I'm not buying a bungalow, those stairs keep me fit. Okay. We only found out that he needed a stair lift when we was caught coming down the stairs on his backside. Oh, he was still doing it, yeah. But but what he did do is he played Badminton to the age of 75, he swam to the age of 80, he socially interacted, he was part quite a regular church go, but he was also at coffee mornings, he volunteered, you know, he did a thing called Talking Newspaper in Stafford. Um, so he did a lot of things, but what I did find, and because he was so into different communities, whenever I rang him, there was always somebody with him. So when he was housebound, he wasn't isolated. People would come and see him, and it was like I'd ring him up, he goes, Oh, sorry, Tim, I've got somebody here with me. Great! He was yeah, exactly, and that's a prime example, and he didn't do these things because he was consciously doing them, he just did these things, but what he did do is he reaped the awards years later. So being at being active, I mean, you know, honestly, the I mean when I played him at Bramington when I was like in my early 20s, I couldn't get past him, you know, and he was it was just crazy, it was in his 60s then, I think it was, you know. But that showed the compound effect of years and years, and I talked to a financial advisor who's also one of our sponsors, and we talk about the compound effect of investing. So, if for example, I I give the example at 18 years old, my mum made me take a pension out. Okay, I'm now 52, so for 34 years I've invested £33 a month. That equates to roughly about £15,000 over over £34 years. That is worth £45,000 now. Wonderful. Because you don't think of it, oh, £33, I could spend actually now it's the same with you looking after your body. If you look after your body, you'll reap the rewards years and years later, but you don't see it now.
SPEAKER_04I know, and and a previous guest I've had on the show, Dr. Hussein Al-Zubaidi, who's the lifestyle doctor and TV.
SPEAKER_00I've met him, he's amazing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. And he talks about movement is medicine. Yeah. And and and he started run groups, you know, in his practice. And people have started, when I say run groups, I mean they're starting by walking. Yeah. Yeah. And he's trying to progress them to, you know, uh, you know, from just no movement to some movement, yeah. Because he maintains that it's the only guaranteed like investment is the the investment you put into keeping your body fit and healthy pays dividends. And I can say it might be a little further down the line, but who doesn't want to live a healthful lifestyle? If it's long and healthy like your granddad, we'd all take that all day long, right? Yeah, we have to do the work now.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04And and I think you know what you're doing with the longevity games, what Paul Cinton Hewitt has almost in inadvertently created this um like mechanism by which everybody can tap into the free forever for everyone. And it happens every week. Pretty well everybody is close to a park. And I know I know it's not a hundred percent coverage yet, but there is there is a formula there for even local groups to be able to start new park runs and new park walks, you know, close to them if there if there isn't one that's near enough by. So like I think community is often one of the most overlooked longevity factors, but I love what you were saying there about your your granddad's involvement in his community actually delivered friendship and engagement in the latter years, which actually I actually think that boosts your health and your longevity in itself.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. And also his cognitive side as well. He had hobbies, you know. Um, I think I think he kept Amazon in business just on jigsaws, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. But you know, it's about understanding all those reasons why. And I think the fundamental thing for any of this is why am I doing it, what am I getting from it, and what is the bigger picture? And I think as a as a society and as a and as a world at the moment, and I talk to counsellors about this, I talk to MPs, GPs, there has to be a different narrative moving forward. There has to be, we can't just keep throwing money at the medical side of all this. No, we can't keep doing that because it's not going to work. It's short-term fix, we can't just keep putting the plaster over these things. When I talk about that VO2 bit, right? I I'm I I still pinch myself, I present that to GPs. Right? I presented it last year to 96 trainee GPs, and they turn around and said to me, Why are we not taught this?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's crazy.
SPEAKER_00And I'm like, why can I find this information out and understand what it's doing? We all need to be singing from the same hymn sheet.
SPEAKER_04And and you know what? I think there's a place even for that level of education to be happening at a much earlier stage in schools. Yeah. Yeah. Um so people understand the you know, the the the negative impacts of the food they're putting inside them, the the lack of movement, the the way they're stuck in devices now, you know, looking down instead of looking out and getting out. Um so it's it's like a self-fulfilling prophecy of a cycle of like poor habits, you know, deliver very poor health outcomes. So, what are you what is your ambition for the longevity games and what excites you about the future you're trying to build there?
SPEAKER_00So, what excites me um is the two parts to it. One, um I want, and this is where I'm looking at is consistency is the key we talked about. You know, you only read the awards, you can't just do it over 12 weeks and suddenly you're better. It's about consistency. So, one of the things I'm talking to at the moment is I've probably got about four or five PTs now that are on board that we're going to look at getting it funded and delivered. The training group I do on a Tuesday, Thursday, but do it in the evening because I don't people aren't too specific o'clock in the morning, right? But we get it funded so it's the same EFOS with part run, that point of use it's free of charge, but it's funded. Okay? So we go into communities because one of the things that stands out is you might put a gym together, you might create an outdoor gym, but unless you've got people running sessions, people aren't gonna go themselves. Okay? So it's a bit like we've all got fields around us, but unless something's happening there, nobody's gonna go and run it. There'll always be people that will do, but those are the minority.
SPEAKER_04Not enough of them.
SPEAKER_00Yes. So that's what I'm looking to do with a combination of making sure because there is funding coming into our local area, but the bigger picture is that funding's only for three years. That gives me three years to find sponsors, to find people, because you can't just do it three years and then all of a sudden nothing happens, and that's what's happened so many times, and that's by Pot Run's words, because it's been going for 22 years, because it's working. We need to prove that actually we're gonna turn this around, we need to have training groups and and then it creates a community of people because it's a local community coming into a local training group that's free of charge and it brings people together that wouldn't normally talk.
SPEAKER_04And I think one of the reasons I personally feel that Parkrun has been so successful is because it didn't have any government pause on it, it was an individual in the community doing something that felt worthwhile. There was no prescription up front, it was just feel good. And what you're doing is the same, Tim. It could come across to me that this longevity games um idea could be a like and hopefully will be a sustaining one and one that grows beyond your environment. But like full kudos and credit to you for you know owning the education, the initiation and the delivery of those um you know health initiatives and fitness initiatives in in Swindon and hopefully beyond. It will it will grow over time. So Tim, that's been fantastic. We're coming towards the end of our time. Unfortunately, I could chat to you all day about that. But a few quick fire rounds on um parkrun, if I may. What's your favourite parkrun?
SPEAKER_00Favourite parkrun I've ever done. The one on one. Oh, which one was that? That was Dwidglington. That was um along the front. Um I turned up. To be fair, there was only about 25 people. Um, but um I I I ran three miles to the start, I ran along the front, caught up with the guys at the front after about a mile, stayed with them, saying, lads, I don't know where I'm going, so I can't see any marshals, and then pulled over when I saw a marshal. I'd probably say it was my favourite one. I've never I mean I'm never gonna win it again, but um but it was Yeah, a lot, a lot. Um but then also probably my favourite one of my favourite part runs is when I started running with my son in the boogie, you know, from a young age, um when he was about six months old, obviously age about four and a half. Um I had to go everywhere. I had a little running buggy. It was the running buggy that Paula Radcliffe bought when she had her first child. Um, so I wanted a decent one. It cost me £450, it was it was worth every penny. I probably ran about two and a half thousand miles on it, it was ridiculous.
SPEAKER_04What a lovely moment to have with your with your son and do something good for yourself.
SPEAKER_00He doesn't remember it now, unfortunately, you know. Even sharing photographs, he doesn't remember it. But but it was amazing. Um so yeah, there's lots of memories. I couldn't say particularly one, but there was lots of memories. Um I remember him saying, I know not to talk to you, daddy, because I can hear you breathing heavy. You know, I can really hear you breathing. So yeah, it was little things like that, you know.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. And your favourite volunteer role, Tim.
SPEAKER_00Um I would probably say barcode scanning. You know why?
SPEAKER_04Because it gets that.
SPEAKER_00Because you get to see the person's name. And when you see the person's name, you say well done, and you say their name, and they go, ooh, and they forget their names on the barcode. Um and you you get the rep you can kind of give a good gauge and you say well done, and it's that it's that kind of thing. As much as I enjoy run directing, I quite enjoyed barcode scanning.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's not it's a nice way to properly connect with somebody and just say, Great time, well done. Yeah, yeah. I did I did it a couple of weeks ago and I really enjoyed it. I just hadn't done it for a while, but it's it is a very personal, yeah um, you know, volunteer moment. And do you prefer to run sunrise or sunset?
SPEAKER_00Sunrise.
SPEAKER_04Sunrise. Um, what is your dream bucket list parkrun location? Is there somewhere on that bucket list?
SPEAKER_00I'm a big fan of Greece.
SPEAKER_04Oh, do they do parkrun in Greece?
SPEAKER_00No.
SPEAKER_04No, we have to we have to find a Greek guy.
SPEAKER_00No, I I worked in Greece for three years and I love the country. And yeah, if you could stick me anywhere in the world, put me in Greece. I just love the mentality, the ecosystem behind them. Everything's a bit slower. Um, but yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um all we need now is a parkrun in Greece to actually fulfill on that bucket list. And your favorite post-parkrun breakfast.
SPEAKER_00Ooh. Well, it's interesting because years ago it would be a bit of muesley and a coffee, but you know what? Nothing now. I fast. And that's one of the things in longevity. I probably do a 16 to 18 hour fast. So I don't eat till after break after parkrun, and it probably don't eat till 10-10.30. So yeah, that's changed. It's interesting, you know. Uh that's yeah, so yeah, not in both.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Um Tim, it's been a fascinating conversation with you, not just you know, to get your perspective and your story about Parkrun, but how Parkrun has led you to um setting up and creating this amazing new community initiative in the longevity games. It sounds um, you know, utterly you know, of its time and and totally necessary, but how lucky are the people in Swindon that they have access to that. And I hope that that is an initiative that um grows in um grows in the number of places that it gets to be. I do like it. Yeah. It's an incredibly positive message and it's incredibly inclusive, and I know you've designed it that way. Um, and hats off to Paul Sinton who did the same. Um thank you so much, Tim, for sharing with our listeners everything um about your journey and the journey you're on now with the longevity games. I wish you loads and loads of luck with that. Thank you very much for joining the Parkrinners Podcast. Thank you for having me. Thanks for joining us on the Parkrinners Podcast. I'm Catherine Stenson, and I love sharing stories from our amazing Parkrun community. So if today's conversation has inspired you, why not share it with a friend? Or better still, bring them.