At 80 years young, Allan Stopher is a keen runner and likes to get out and rack up the miles nearly every day. He even has a treadmill in his apartment at Churchill’s Bond Lodge in Rainham which he uses when the weather is bad, if he’s not out on the golf course or enjoying holidays abroad!
He says: “I started running when I was 38, taking part in a local fun run, and from that day on I was hooked. I’ve done 59 marathons, including 9 London Marathons, and my best marathon time was 2h54 – although that was a few years ago! I’ve also done ultramarathons and raised lots of money for charity, but these days I don’t enter many races, I just do it for fun and to keep myself fit. I’m still a dedicated member of the Medway ‘Rebel Runners’ club which is a good social group.”
Looking healthy, trim and tanned, Allan is certainly a great advert for an active lifestyle, and he seems to have found a good balance with his laid back approach to life. He adds: “When I’m not running I like to get away on holidays with friends or with Saga, it’s nice to get some sunshine!”
Explaining his move to Bond Lodge, Allan says: “I lived on my own in a big house in Gillingham and I decided the place was too big for me. Downsizing was hard, but I had plenty of help from Churchill’s downsizing service. I managed to sell plenty of my old furniture which made a bit of money to help with the move.
“I also decided to get rid of a lot of my old race medals – I had boxes of them! However, I kept all my London Marathon medals and a few others from races that were special to me, like the Hastings Marathon which was one of the hardest and hilliest I’ve ever done!
“Now I’m settled in my new apartment and enjoying getting to know all my new neighbours. There’s nothing to worry about here, so when I’m not running I can just spend my time relaxing, playing golf and going on holidays, it’s perfect!”