Meet parkrun champ, Graeme Adamson, with 350 runs under his belt

Getting fit after decades of inactivity is difficult. Yet, the effort and aching joints pale in comparison to the gains: When you start sleeping properly, can climb stairs with ease and no longer feel your knees throb - not to mention higher energy levels delight and surprise you.

This is the experience of IT expert Graeme Adamson, 54, from Roodepoort. Part of a select band of South Africans who've completed 350 consecutive parkruns (only one person nationwide has done 500), he's now what you might call a parkrun "addict" and is willing to drive up to 100km just for the fun of running at a new venue.

"I literally did no exercise for decades - no walking or running. I remember running as a conscript in the army in 1987. I was quite quick, but I didn't enjoy it. You might say I was allergic to exercise. I'm a large guy at 115kgs and I was even heavier before - but I realised that, while doing all my Vitality Health Checks helped me get me to Diamond status, maintaining my status required some exercise for the points. That was the real catalyst," he says.

A long road to fitness

Graeme's first 5 km Saturday parkrun in February 2014 was tough. "I walked and ran, and finished in just under 42 mins, but for three weeks after that I could hardly walk! I went back the next week and suffered through it. Then I went to the next and the next. I got faster and fitter, and in that first year it started to become a routine. Then, in 2015, I threw myself into a 21 km run. From then on, I could do races and I committed to never missing a parkrun. I got into it gradually and it's quite fun now. On some holidays, like Christmas or New Year, they have two parkruns in one day and I will go from one park to another. The sense of accomplishment was the thing. After about a year I could run the full 5 km without walking and average about 30 minutes to complete it," he says.

Graeme remembers one Roodepoort parkrun being cancelled because of an early morning thunderstorm. "I was devastated because it broke my consecutive tally. My streak ended," he laughs.

He inspired his 26-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son to become more active, and they sometimes accompany him to the gym once or twice a week when he isn't taking his regular a three-to-four kilometer morning jog.

Living life with Vitality

Graeme loves Vitality Active Rewards in the Discovery app which enables members to earn weekly rewards for achieving their personalised exercise goals. Rewards that can be used to claim, for example, a weekly smoothie or hot drink at select partners or which can be saved up for larger shopping spoils.

"I've reached 352 parkruns as of August 2022. The parkrun director always asks if any one has reached their 50th, 100th, 250th and higher parkrun milestones and everybody applauds you or someone runs in with a flag behind you towards the finish line - it creates a connection, and I often join people for coffee afterwards," he says.

More recently he's discovered parkrun rewards for visiting other runs - people who complete 100 different parkruns earn a cap. "I'm on 88, but it does require a bit of travel," he reveals.

While Graeme is grateful for his amazing Vitality benefits, which includes rewards such as discounted travel, he regards his overall wellness as a benefit beyond measure.

"Before starting all of this, I was worried I'd end up older and unable to walk anywhere. My knees hurt going up stairs and I was out of breath from just walking. Now I can do stairs, no problem. I can walk any distance without getting out of breath. I sleep much better and have much more energy. From a mental viewpoint, I look forward to each week's parkrun - it gives me huge satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment," he says.

His advice for other runners, especially younger runners, is to "keep at it". "It will help you in years to come, physically and mentally. It's far easier to stay fit than to get fit when you're older. Set targets and try to meet small goals, like a few kilometres per week, month or year, races entered or parkruns done," Graeme says.

Join parkrun and earn Vitality points here.