Marathoner, 61, Advises: “Stay Active, Avoid Prolonged Sitting”

Linda Carrier, a 61-year-old marathon runner, believes that staying active is key to staying healthy, resilient, and avoiding disease. She began running at the age of 30 and after her first marathon, she found a sense of calm and focus that running brought her. This led her to run one or two marathons a year and eventually expand into longer races like ultramarathons.

On her 50th birthday, Carrier completed an 80 km ultramarathon and participated in the World Marathon Challenge three times in 2019, 2020, and 2023. With 81 marathons and 55 half marathons under her belt, Carrier’s success in running was no accident. Even when diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 14, she never gave up her passion for running.

Currently, Carrier is working towards completing marathons in all 50 states and runs 65 to 80 km per week, sometimes up to 200 km when preparing for a specific competition. She believes that staying active and avoiding long periods of sitting is crucial to maintaining health, regardless of age.

Research shows that any amount of running, even less than 50 minutes per week, can reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Carrier advises finding a sport that you love, integrating different types of exercises, and making exercise a habit like eating and sleeping.

She encourages setting long-term goals and making a plan to achieve them, emphasizing the importance of not regretting missed opportunities later in life. Carrier’s journey in running inspires others to stay active and live a healthy, fulfilling life.