Blackburn’s Shirley Young, who ran 30 Melbourne Marathons, has died

MANY people in Blackburn and the surrounding suburbs would have seen Shirley Young run past their house.

Young, who holds dozens of Australian and world records for her running feats, died on July 8, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. She was 86.

Young didn’t take up running until she was 47, which at the time her husband Ron described as a “rebirth” of the determined mother of three.

Always the doting wife and mother, Young used to watch everyone else in her family run and take part in sports, but then decided to have a go herself; proof that you’re never too old.

Shirley Young was born on Christmas eve, 1929. She married Ron in 1956 and the couple lived in their Blackburn home until Shirley moved to a nursing home in Box Hill five years ago, after breaking her hip. She had two daughters and a son and one “favourite” granddaughter and five grandsons, as well as one great-granddaughter.

Shirley is best known for being one of only 13 people, and the only female, to run all 30 of the first Melbourne Marathon events, making her what’s known as a Spartan Legend of the event.

The first Melbourne Marathon was held in 1978, and was from Frankston to Melbourne, with Young finishing second in her age group, in the impressive time of 3 hours and 51 minutes. She went on to run the next 29 Melbourne Marathons, and finished first in her age group 22 times. Her last Melbourne Marathon was in 2007 where she was helped by other Spartan runners to get to the finish line in a time of 6 hours and 20 minutes.

She started the 2008 event, but wasn’t able to make it to the finish line, cramping in the hamstrings at the 33km mark, which ended her impressive record-breaking Melbourne Marathon career.

But Young’s family were adamant her greatest running achievement came in 2000 at age 70, when she took part in a 24-hour run at Coburg where she covered a staggering 176km, and broke the world record for her age.

It was said that Shirley always ran at a steady pace and many runners can attest to being overtaken by Shirley on marathon courses after they had gone out too hard and started to fatigue.

She never liked the attention that came her way and didn’t believe what she was doing was anything special. Her husband Ron always took great pride in maintaining her stats and records and could proudly rattle of her best times, results and records.

When Shirley was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2002, she told the doctors she didn’t want to be told she had to give up running, and she certainly didn’t. It is believed the running played a vital role in stabilising her condition.

While her dream to run a marathon at 100 years of age will now forever remain just that, she leaves behind an incredibly legacy and will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

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