100-year-old aiming to go the distance in Ottawa 5K race

Roy Allen, who celebrated his 100th birthday in April, is expected to be the first centenarian to walk the 5K at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend on May 23. He's fundraising for four different seniors organizations. Photo by JEAN LEVAC /POSTMEDIA

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Just over a month past his 100th birthday, Roy Allen will walk the 5K during Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, becoming the first centenarian to do so.

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Allen’s walk will also raise money for four Ottawa-area seniors organizations that he says have been helpful for himself and his wife of 64 years, Melba, who has dementia.

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He’s already raised over $7,000 for the Council on Aging of Ottawa, the Dementia Society, Perley Health and the Gloucester 50+ Centre.

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The original idea for Allen to walk in the race came from his daughter, Sarah Bercier, who is also executive director at the Council on Aging.

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“He’s super healthy,” Bercier said. “I just thought it would just be really cool to do this, and so, as he got closer to 100, I went, ‘Oh, maybe we really could.’

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“He’s the last of his siblings, and he’s the last of his cousins,” she said. “But he’s the most resilient guy.”

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Allen will be one of about 9,000 people entered in the 5K race on May 23.

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Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is the largest multi-day race event in Canada. This year, there are 38,000 people registered to compete in races from two to 42.2 kilometres on May 23-24.

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Mike Vieira, race director at Run Ottawa, which organizes the race weekend, says Allen is believed to be the oldest person to ever attempt the 5K.

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At the 2023 Race Weekend, 96-year-old Rejeanne Fairhead set a world record for the fastest 5K by a woman between the ages of 95 and 99.

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“Every year, we have hundreds of people over the age of 60 who compete,” Vieira said.

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“It’s great,” he said. “That’s the whole point of this, that people go and try to do things that are beyond their comfort level or for family, for friends, or to raise charity, for a cause or to sort of challenge themselves in a different way.”

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Roy Allen, who celebrated his 100th birthday in April, is expected to be one of about 9,000 people entered in the Ottawa 5K race on May 23. Photo by JEAN LEVAC /POSTMEDIA

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Allen credits his good health to lifestyle choices.

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“I never smoked, never drank alcohol, never did recreational drugs, and only one wife … no fooling around,” he said.

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According to Bercier, Allen has almost always made exercise a part of his daily life. He lived in Winnipeg until 10 years ago, and back there he would walk all the time.

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“He used to walk to work. He would take the bus, but he would walk until the bus came. He wouldn’t just stand at the bus stop for half an hour,” she said.

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Allen said he also did gymnastics until he was 23, when he had to stop because of work. He swam a lot as well, and he continues to do so when he can.

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He followed the 5 Basic Exercises Plan from the Royal Canadian Air Force until he was 60, when he started making up and doing his own exercises.

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Before signing up for this year’s 5K race, though, Allen wasn’t walking as much as he had been back in Winnipeg, Bercier said.

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“Here he hasn’t been doing any formal walking at all. He just goes for walks,” she said. “And it’s probably been a while since he’s walked 5k.”

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Even so, Allen said he had “no trouble” walking four kilometres recently, and on May 9 he walked five kilometres around Place d’Orléans Shopping Centre.

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He and his family are hoping for a similar result on race day.

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