Sport
24 October, 2025
Athlete proves age is no barrier
CAMPERDOWN stalwart and former Member of the House of Representatives Stewart McArthur proved last Sunday week you can do anything you put your mind to after running in the Nike Half Marathon.
The half marathon was part of the Melbourne Marathon Festival, which saw close over 50,000 runners hit the pavement across seven events.
Mr McArthur was among them, running 21.1 kilometres from Batman Avenue (north of Rod Laver Arena) to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
He said the weather was good for the run.
“I had a bit of a sore back, but I managed to finish in two hours and 57 minutes – which was a good time for an old bloke,” Mr McArthur said.
“I’ll be 88 next week, so I was pleased to finish the run.
“Somebody identified me when I ran into the stadium, and they were good enough to put me on the big screen.
“That’s caused quite a bit of interest about the place. I was humbled by the response on social media and the MCG when I finished.”
Mr McArthur said he was proud to be part of the Melbourne Marathon Festival, which has seen strong growth in participant numbers in recent years.
“I think there were only around four who were over 75 – I don’t know about anyone over 80, so I think I might have been the only one,” he said.
“There were 50,000 participating in the half marathon and 10 kilometre run in Melbourne last weekend.”
Mr McArthur trains on the Naroghid Rail Trail each week as the weather allows, often running alongside locals enjoying the trail.
He said his training usually sees him run around 25 kilometres a week.
“I just do two half marathons a year – I do Melbourne, and I’ve done every half marathon along the Great Ocean Road except for when COVID was around,” Mr McArthur said.
“The Great Ocean Road is now becoming an iconic event in our part of the world.
“I’m looking forward to the next run along the Great Ocean Road in May 2026.”
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