Don’t Stop Running
the B.J. McHugh holds marathon world record for an 88yearold by an astounding 92 minutes…and that’s just one of dozens of other agebased running feats. Now 89 years old, the former nurse is taking abreak from running for the time being—but only because she slipped getting o the podium at an award ceremony for athletic achievement. Q: Where did you spend your childhood? A: I grew up in Ontario, one of eight kids. I grew up in the Depression, so Ilearned to make do. We lived on afarm east of Toronto; my parents pulled me out of classes each spring to work in the elds.
Q: When did you start running?
A: Ialways skied and played tennis, but I didn’t start running until my 50s. I ran my rst marathon at 55—when I was still smoking!
Q: Do you have aspecial diet?
A: I eat everything and anything. Breakfast this morning was oatmeal, a boiled egg and grapefruit. I have steak every Saturday night.
Q: Whataboutdrinking?
A: I have a glass of shiraz every night, even before a marathon. It’s part of my daily routine.
Q: Will you be running forever?
A: Running gets the heart rate up. You get that high; nothing takes the place of running. I think I would nd life without it terribly boring.