Go Glad Go: 84-year-old competes in Great North Run

A woman who was not allowed to do any sport as a child is competing in the Great North Run at the age of 84.

Gladys Tingle was seriously ill with double pneumonia when she was young, and was told she could not do any sport at school.

Now a grandmother, she started doing marathons in her 70s and is known for walking around her home in Horncastle in Lincolnshire every day.

She has raised thousands of pounds for Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance.

She intends to "power walk" the half marathon rather than running it.

"I go about three-and-a-half miles an hour, something like that," she said.

"It's like a power walk, between a run and a walk.

"I don't want anybody to walk with me. If people say 'Come on walk with me' I say 'No, you go your way and I'll go mine'."

Gladys has done the Great North Run at least ten times.


When she competes in events people shout "Go Glad Go" at her, because she wears a t-shirt printed with the slogan.

She is also used to cars beeping at her when she goes walking around Horncastle.

"You get a lot of cars peeping but I don't know who's in it because they are going fast," she said. (clued from bbc)