By Luke Voogt
Stewart McArthur is still running at “80 plus a bit” in his quest to emulate a Victorian who won an 875km ultramarathon at age 61.
“Be like Cliff Young and keep going,” he told the Indy as he prepared for his 14th consecutive Great Ocean Road half marathon
The South Geelong octogenarian was a long-time admirer of Young, a farmer who ran from Melbourne to Sydney in gumboots and overalls in 1983.
The 61-year-old Young completed the event in five days, bereft of dentures, and generously gave his $10,000 prize to the next five runners.
In a similarly remarkable feat, Stewart has run in the Great Ocean Road half marathon since it began in 2005.
He completed the race in two hours and 34 minutes last year, slower than his first half marathon of one hour and 57 minutes at a spritely 64 in 2002.
“I’m a bit slow these days,” he said.
“My only concession to age is I get to walk the drink station positively for two minutes.”
The former Corangamite MP has long been a supporter of Great Ocean Road Running Festival and will run in the half marathon again this weekend.
“The scenery is world class and the hills are not as daunting as one might imagine,” he said.”
“In ten years’ time it will be one of the top running events in Australia.”
Stewart planned to run the half marathon until “at least 85,” he said.
“It keeps me fit and I can handle the stress and strain of life – once you get into a routine you just keep going.”
He began running “seriously” after a disappointing fun run in 2000.
“I was bit slack so I said to myself, ‘lift your game,’” he said.
Stewart now runs 6km a day and two half marathons a year.
“I’m on the running track at quarter to six and I’m on the train to Melbourne at 8am,” he said.
“I get a very positive start to the day.”
He has since run at the World Masters Games in Turin, Sydney and Melbourne, and last year won the silver medal in Auckland.
But Stewart had been jogging for 20-plus years before he decided to run “seriously”, following a serious car accident in 1978, he explained.
“It encouraged me to look after my health.”
On 27 March Stewart’s son Andrew died while cycling in a tragic road accident in Sydney.
Andrew’s athletic pursuits had inspired him to keep going, he said.
“He was a very dedicated athlete, tri-athlete and bike rider – much better than his father.”
Stewart was the Liberal Party Corangamite MP in the Australian House of Representatives from February 1984 until 2007.
