Running makes age just a number for ex-smoker who took up the sport at 58 in Hong Kong – at 71 she set her best 10k race time
- Sue Ko thought running might improve her lung health after she gave up smoking, and wanted to honour her brother, a keen runner who had died of cancer
- She trained for her first 10k race in Hong Kong aged 58, running in a group which she found motivating, then found a trainer who introduced her to trail running
Sue Ko was surprised when a colleague asked her to join him and others in signing up for the 2007 Standard Chartered 10-kilometre run in Hong Kong. She was 58 at the time and had never run before.
“I was on the brink of turning 60, not exactly an age to be taking up running,” says Ko, who at the time was chairwoman of the council of the English Schools Foundation’s Peak School.
She took up the invitation, and a love affair with running began. In the 15 years since, Ko has run 17 10km races, and notched her personal best time of 00:52:32 in 2019, at age 71. She ran her most recent 10km race in October 2021, finishing in a time of 00:57:59 – nearly 12 minutes faster at age 74 than in her debut race aged 59.
“An inspiration for me to take up running was a chance to honour the memory of my elder brother, who was a long-distance runner for most of his life and had died of cancer aged 73, a few months earlier,” says Ko, who grew up in Yorkshire in the UK and moved to Hong Kong in 1974 as a young wife and mother.
She started training in September 2006 with a group of teachers from the Peak School, running together along Harlech and Lugard roads on Victoria Peak every Thursday afternoon.
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“We started by alternating running and walking – running for a minute followed by walking for four minutes,” says Ko.
As the weeks went by, they increased the intervals they ran and reduced the time they walked, until they were running through the entire session.
“The first time that I ran the Lugard Road circuit (about 3.3km) without stopping, it took me 37 minutes – and it was absolutely thrilling,” says Ko, with a big smile.
Gradually, Ko added a second run to the week and also started following the XBX plan – a series of exercises designed for women by the Canadian Air Force, targeting full body strength and cardio fitness.
In March 2007, Ko and her running mates ran their first race, the Standard Chartered 10km run. They then began training together to run the Unicef 10km race every autumn and the Standard Chartered 10km challenge in spring.
“Running with a group is a wonderful experience. It gives you the motivation to get started and to keep training. It fostered a deeper sense of community and friendship for me. We became a ‘family’ as we got to know each other well,” says Ko.
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Over the years, the group dismantled as the teachers relocated and by 2014 Ko had no motivation to run on her own. “I had enjoyed the camaraderie of the group and missed my running buddies. I also began to wonder whether my running technique and race preparations were adequate,” she said.
A friend who runs ultramarathons, Jenny Lam, introduced Ko to her trainer Peter Lee, a keen trail runner himself who has competed in ultra races in Hong Kong including the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker, the North Face 100 and the TransLantau 100.
“Running with Peter opened up a whole new world for me,” says Ko. “He introduced me to the trails of Hong Kong. It was an adventure, a magical mystery tour of a whole new side of Hong Kong. I had lived in the city for 40 years and had not realised what beautiful countryside we have.”
She started taking her husband for walks on the trails, too, and says he has been “equally delighted and surprised”.
Lee, who is 53, brought structure to Ko’s training and improved her running form. He had her focus on speedwork, running fartleks – a training system that varies the intensity or speed of a run to improve fitness and endurance – on trails, and fast circuits around running tracks. He also added exercises to boost Ko’s strength and endurance.
Following Lee’s advice, Ko also switched to shoes with more cushioning and support.
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“Peter taught me how to run efficiently, reducing risk of injuries. He notices when my posture or technique is not correct and reminds me to make small adjustments. Soon after we started running, Peter gave me the confidence that I could break the one-hour mark for my next 10km race,” says Ko. She ran the Standard Chartered 2014 race a month later, in 0:55:55.
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“I had to miss a few races. It’s important to recognise that rest and recovery are as important as training in a runner’s life,” says Ko. She also took time off from running to recover from colon surgery and a head injury requiring surgery.
Since 2014, she has finished in the top 20 in her age category – 45+, and came third in her school’s ESF 10km run in 2019. Her personal best time for a 10km race was 00:52:32 in the Race The Runway event in 2019. Her best time for the Standard Chartered 10km challenge was 00:53:43 in 2019.
The last race that she ran, the Standard Chartered 2021 10km race reserved for competitors who had run the distance in a race in under 57 minutes, rates as Ko’s most special.
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Ko’s advice for people in their 50s who want to start running is to first undergo a physical check-up to ensure they are fit enough. Start by running and walking short distances. Find a friend or a group to run with. Get a trainer to ensure your running form is correct. Most importantly, she urges new runners to enjoy themselves.
Running with other people creates a feeling of togetherness, a common purpose, a shared appreciation of nature and fitness. She says it’s a great opportunity for companionship and good conversation.
“Running has changed my life. It has given me happiness, friendships and a sense of well-being. It makes me feel ageless.”
