David Jeffries will take part in the ASICS Half Marathon on Sunday 2 July. 

By Jasmine Rolfe

For 70-year-old David Jeffries, running at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon will be a vast change from his past treks through the coffee fields in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro.

This year David will take on the ASICS Half Marathon on Sunday 2 July, deriving inspiration from a life-changing period spent living in Africa.

Five years ago, the self-proclaimed “grey nomad” and his wife Ann-Maree abandoned their jobs and divested themselves of all their personal possessions here in Australia to volunteer in Africa and teach English at The School of St Jude in Tanzania.

David and Ann-Maree would wake before sunrise every morning to run and train with the locals, one of whom David claims became his inspiration and sparked his passion for running marathons.

David explained that the man married an Australian woman before moving to Australia where he continues to run, competing in marathons across the country.

“He had a terrible life but was extremely fit,” David said.

“He had always run on dirt roads so running on concrete was very difficult.

“I competed with him too, finishing about 100 hours behind him and thankful I hadn’t arrested!” David laughed.

Determined not to let anything slow him down, David is now preparing for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon and believes that a large component of running a marathon is having the right state of mind leading into and during the race.

“In past marathons when I’ve looked up to see thousands of people in front of me, I would begin to doubt myself,” he said.

“But when I look over my shoulder, I discover that there’s thousands of people behind me and I’m not coming last so I just keep going.

“You can’t let your mind tell yourself you can’t do something.”

Running the ASICS Half Marathon at the age of 70 is a testament to David’s outlook on health and fitness and his belief that the body is designed to move in order to live.

He also believes that the Gold Coast Airport Marathon, being near the ocean, has a strong connection to nature, reflects the active lifestyle of Gold Coasters and the sense of community that the marathon brings about.

With a keen interest in researching the latest advances in the science of athletic endeavor and a “can do” attitude, David had these words to say to encourage anyone to take the leap and attempt the Gold Coast Airport Marathon or, at the very least, live a fit and healthy lifestyle.

“The former American president used to go out for a run every morning, so if he could run America and find the time to go for a run and you can’t because you’re busy, well you’re only looking for excuses!”

27,000 runners will take part in the 2017 Gold Coast Airport Marathon.

The 39th annual Gold Coast Airport Marathon will be held on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 July.

Set to attract more than 27,000 participants of all ages and abilities, this year’s race program will feature the Gold Coast Airport Marathon over 42.2km, Wheelchair Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Wheelchair 15km, Southern Cross University 10km Run, 5.7km Challenge, Zespri 4km Junior Dash and Zespri 2km Junior Dash.

For the fourth year, the Gold Coast Airport Marathon has been awarded an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Road Race Gold Label.

RUN #GCAM17 WITH DAVID