Roy Allen finished his 5K in 1 hour, 47 minutes and 19 seconds on Saturday. The clock barely mattered. At 100 years old, he had just become the oldest person, and the first centenarian, in Canadian history to complete the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 5K, according to Canadian Running.
Allen walked the course with the help of a walker, surrounded by eight family members who registered as “Team 100.” Spectators lined the streets with handmade signs, cheering him block after block.
Allen also used the event to raise money for four organizations that have supported him and his 94-year-old wife, Melba: the Council on Aging of Ottawa, the Dementia Society, the Perley Health Foundation, and the Gloucester 50+ Centre. Melba lives at Perley Health.
Before the race, Allen told CTV News he had already raised more than $12,000 for the cause.
“It’s nice to be able to do it and to be raising money for these other people,” he said.
A Family Effort on the Course
Allen’s daughter, Sara Bercier, walked alongside him for the full 5K, joined by several of her father’s grandchildren. Bercier told the Ottawa Citizen that her father credits his longevity to a handful of simple habits he has stuck with for a century: he never smoked, never drank, and smiled often.
He has also stayed physically active his entire life. His background includes gymnastics, swimming, regular walking, and mobility exercises — the kind of consistent movement that researchers studying older athletes have repeatedly tied to better aging outcomes. To prepare for race day, family members took turns walking laps with him at a local mall, an approach similar to the gradual build-up recommended in most 5K walking plans.
The hills on the course caught the group off guard. Allen said the crowd kept him going when the climbs got tough.
“They are really my encouragement there,” he told CTV News. “I can’t possibly quit.”
A Busy Day in the Capital
Allen’s finish came on the opening day of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, which featured the Kids Marathon, 2K, 5K, 10K, half-marathon and full marathon, Running Magazine reported. Nearly 1,900 children took part in the Kids Marathon earlier in the day, and thousands of runners filled the city’s streets across the various distances.
Allen joins a small but growing group of late-life athletes who continue to redefine what is possible at the back of the pack — from the 93-year-old who finished the Paris Marathon to Antonio Rao’s 31st Rome Marathon at age 93, and the late Fauja Singh, the British-Indian runner reported to have finished a marathon at 100. For anyone wondering whether it is too late to begin, the story of a 101-year-old who started running at 62 — and beginner guides like how to start running at 50 — suggest the door stays open longer than most people think.
Saturday wasn’t a one-off for Allen. After crossing the line, he said he planned to return and do the race again next year. Donations to his “Team 100” campaign are still being accepted through his JustGiving page.
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