The Master - Geoff Oliver

The Master:
Geoff Oliver broke his first world record aged 65 - which is proof that you're never too old to excel. Now 76, the retired teacher - and grandfather of seven - holds 11 world bests, in everything from 30 miles to 100K. He set an incredible four national and two world records at a single event last year: the Self-Transcendence 24 Hour Race at Tooting Bec Athletics Track.
"Some runners get tangled up in PBs - I just run as I feel and the rest takes care of itself," he says. This tactic helped Oliver run a world-beating 111 miles in 24 hours, as well as setting a new best time of 20:43:49 for the 100-mile distance. He came 10th overall, beating runners a third of his age.
It's all the more remarkable because Oliver, from Billesdon in Leicestershire, only started to run competitively in his fifties. "I had run a bit when I was studying, and then in my twenties I found myself teaching recruits in the Army," he says. "I used to ferry them to races, and decided to join in, running up and down fells in my army boots."
It was a no-nonsense introduction to the world of endurance running. Does Oliver think that modern runners would benefit from a similar gruelling experience? "Modern life is certainly a bit wimpish," he says. "That may be why standards seem to be slipping. When I ran 6:32:27 at this year's Barry 40-mile Track Race I broke a record - but unfortunately it was my own record from the previous year."
As President of Hinckley Running Club and the 100K Association, Oliver is doing what he can to encourage a sense of fighting spirit in the upcoming generation of long-distance runners. "Most of the new runners seem to prefer distances under 10 miles, which is an shame because ultra-running teaches you the perfect mixture of physical and psychological control," he says.
Oliver cites Don Ritchie as his personal inspiration: the 52-year-old ultra runner has held the world records for 100K and 100 miles since the 1970s. As for himself, he accepts that he is slowing down in his late seventies, but is sure he will never stop running: "There's just something euphoric about it," he says.

Another fine example of I am not too old at 50!