The average Briton quits running at 39 as Britain’s oldest running team shares how to go the distance
Altra launches The Legacy Team, with a combined age of 321, as research shows injury drives one in three runners to stop
Over seven million people in England laced up regularly last year, more than at any point in the sport’s history. And yet, according to new research, the average British runner stops at 39.
New research commissioned by Altra, a running brand whose shoes are designed around natural movement and long-term foot health, reveals one in three (32%) quit because of injury.
More than half (55%) have suffered a setback serious enough to keep them out for three months or more, and of those, one in six (17%) say they have never fully recovered. Nearly a quarter (24%) say life got in the way.
Some 44% of runners say they have never received any guidance on how to protect their body over the long term, and the same proportion say they wish they had. The running industry, it seems, is very good at getting people started and considerably less good at keeping them going.
In response, Altra has launched Britain’s oldest running team with a combined age of 321, named The Legacy Team, to inspire the next generation of runners to go the distance.
The team includes Peter Giles, 82, who only took up competitive running at 44. Before that he had played bass with prog rock band King Crimson, worked as a master carpenter and spent his evenings as a bandleader in west London. Running, he has said, became a project. In 2024 he won five gold medals at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Sweden. In December he broke the British 5km road record, running it in 22 minutes 29 seconds. He runs 30 miles a week, does not go to the gym, and, after races, has a coffee and a cigar.
Rajinder Singh MBE, 79, has been running since his childhood in India. He is recognised as the oldest runner in the Sikh community and has completed marathons across the world. Laurence Cummings, 85, holds 204 age category Parkrun records across England and Scotland. Pritpal Kaur, 75, was the oldest British Asian woman to complete this year’s London Marathon, one of only 35 women over 75 to cross the line.
A generation of runners in their twenties and thirties are already accumulating the habits and injuries that will determine whether they are still running at 60. Most of them have no framework for thinking about running as a lifelong practice. The Legacy Team aims to change that.
To help address the knowledge gap, the Legacy Team have collaborated with Altra on The Long Run, a free book of running wisdom to help young runners put their best foot forward.
“Many young runners overtrain and overcomplicate everything,” Giles said. “Whatever your age, it’s important to build good habits. I’d advise you to listen to your body. I often talk to mine during a run and this helps guide each session.”
Pritpal Kaur, 75, agrees: “Be kind to your body and your body will be kind to you. Running helps us physically and mentally. It gives back so much, and it’s free.”
The team has been immortalised by renowned British portrait photographer Rankin, who has captured some of the world’s biggest cultural icons including David Bowie, Madonna and King Charles III, to champion a different kind of endurance.
Rob Herdman, Marketing Director at Altra, said: “Last year, our team spent a lot of time at races across the UK and we kept finding ourselves inspired by the same people. Not necessarily the fastest runners or those standing on the podium, but the runners in their seventies and eighties who were still out there doing something they loved.
“Every time we saw them, we’d say the same thing: ‘I want to be like that when I’m older.’
“That simple thought became the inspiration for this campaign. The Legacy Team is a celebration of runners who show what’s possible and a reminder that the choices we make today can shape whether we’re still running thirty or forty years from now.
“Our FootShape design is built to promote comfort, balance and strength, helping runners build a foundation for all the miles ahead.”
Five pieces of running wisdom from the Altra Legacy Team
Make it fun. Run with friends, explore new routes and put some music on to keep you going. The distance matters far less than simply putting one foot in front of the other and getting out there.
Listen to your body. Tiredness and mild soreness are normal, but sharp or lingering pain is a signal to ease off and tell a coach or parent. Rest days are part of training, and taking one when you need it is a smart choice.
Pace yourself for the long run. Pushing your body to its limits week after week is something elite athletes do because they need peak fitness to compete at the highest level. For everyone else, easing off regularly is what keeps you running for years to come.
Run your own race. Try not to chase PBs or compare yourself with what others achieve. Enjoy running at a comfortable pace, one where you could still hold a conversation.
Join a running club. A club gives you motivation, advice from experienced runners and coaches, and a sociable setting to work towards your running goals.
