JOHN Graham never thought his running would be for anything more than just to keep fit.
Graham, 62, from Endeavour Hills, started running back in the 1970s as training to keep him in shape for his dancesport, but eventually his time and focus drifted towards running – but not competitively until two years ago when a chance encounter along his Endeavour Hills running circuit tipped him off to Masters competitions.
It was a good thing he bumped into that guy – as Graham has excelled in competition ever since, winning the first event he competed in – the Victorian half-marathon championships – and going on to claim even more success now at the Pan Pacific Masters Games.
“Been running all my life, but it’s really only been the last two years that I’ve been in the competitive aspect of it,” Graham said.
“One day I fronted up at one of their training venues and thought it was pretty cool and from there I joined and the very first event I ran in was the Australian half marathon title and won that.”
Graham couldn’t believe his haul from the Pan Pacific – getting wins in all disciplines from the shorter distance 800m all the way up to the 8000m cross country ticked off in the win column.
“Did this really happen? You hear of all these other guys who win these great big medal hauls and think ‘wow’,” Graham said.
“I had to pinch myself – It was a good event and good for the camaraderie with all the other competitors as there were a whole lot of age groups mixing – it’s more than just the race it’s the camaraderie and helping out everyone else there.”
The hills around his house have primed him for all lengths and disciplines in his 60-plus age group.
Graham picked up gold medals in the 800m, 1500m, 2000m steeplechase, 3000m walk, 4x400m relay and the 8000m cross country. He also took the top prize in the 1600m (one mile) soft sand beach race, held on Broadbeach’s main shoreline. His successes earlier in the season helped grant him a world masters ranking in the 5000m – and is especially proud of his time of 18.43 – giving him sub-four minute kilometres and he also took the win in the four-event Solomon Trail Running series for his age group.
“At the Victorian Masters, the 5000m in particular, I got a time of 18.43, which gave me a Masters world ranking. A lot of people yearn to get four minute kilometres, especially sustained over a five kilometre distance but I can do it over 10kms and most of those middle distance races are the ones I like to go in,” Graham said.
So what does Graham consider training for fitness sake? Twelve kilometres per day and on occasion a 23km ‘longer’ course – as he describes it – rain, hail or shine.
With a training schedule like that, it’s hard to see him getting outrun in whatever event he decides to give a run.
