Sophie Raworth Joins Cirencester Parkrun and Highlights Lifelong Fitness

BBC presenter and marathon runner Sophie Raworth took part in Cirencester parkrun ahead of an appearance at a nearby festival, according to the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire Standard. Her participation reflects her continued involvement in running, while a separate article for Runner's World describes how an older gym companion has influenced her perspective on exercise and aging.

Raworth, a BBC broadcaster who has completed seven Abbott World Marathon Majors, also writes about maintaining physical activity as people grow older. In her Runner's World article, she describes Victoria, an art-world professional who continues to work extensively while training regularly and lifting weights in her 80s.

Victoria's determination to remain active has made a strong impression on Raworth, who visits the gym when she expects her friend to be there. The older woman performs exercises including squats, chest presses, planks and Romanian deadlifts, alongside other gym members.

Victoria celebrated her 82nd birthday with champagne before going to the gym and repeatedly deadlifting 40 kilograms. Fellow gym-goers congratulated her as she prepared for her workout.

When Raworth asked permission to share a video of Victoria lifting weights on Instagram, hoping it would inspire others, Victoria declined because she preferred to keep her age private.

Victoria continues to work almost full time in the art world. She began exercising at 56 after a shopping trip for her son's wedding in 2000 prompted her to reconsider her health and fitness.

The experience began when a familiar shop assistant told her that she would need a larger dress size. Embarrassed and frustrated, Victoria contacted a friend, who connected her with a personal trainer from Wales.

Victoria recalled her former routine before she started training.

"I was working all the time! I was far too busy," Victoria explained.

Her personal trainer, Matt, has continued working with her twice a week for 26 years. She later added gym-based weightlifting to her routine after the pandemic and a kidney transplant.

Victoria explained that recovering from serious illness changed how she viewed her opportunities and physical well-being.

"I want to be alive! When you've been so seriously ill and you've been given a second chance, you can't waste it. And it gives you energy – it gives you strength.

It's also good for your mind. The challenge is the thing that's good for my body and my brain," Victoria said.

She also described how maintaining her independence and physical capabilities has shaped her outlook on aging. Some of her friends consider her exercise habits unusual, while others have tried exercising without continuing consistently.

Victoria takes pride in remaining physically active and encourages movement within her own household, including asking her husband, who is almost 90, to walk the dog four times a day.

"I do feel proud that I still can do it. My parents' generation hit their 60s and put on their slippers and sat in a chair. I make my husband, who's almost 90, walk the dog four times a day. The whole point about keeping fit is that your mind is then fit, too," Victoria said.

Raworth's account also traces the beginning of Victoria's relationship with her personal trainer, whom she initially mistook for a Hollywood actor when he arrived at her home.

"I thought he was Tom Cruise when I first opened the door," Victoria recalled.

Victoria's decision to begin training came after a period when professional commitments had left little room for exercise. Her subsequent routine developed from personal training into regular strength work, including repeated deadlifts.

Raworth has described finding Victoria's commitment inspiring, particularly because strength training remains relatively uncommon among people in their 80s. The journalist is now the same age Victoria was when she first began working with her trainer.

In addition to her broadcasting career and running activities, Raworth has written the book Running On Air, published by Bloomsbury. Her running experience includes seven Abbott World Marathon Majors, while her Cirencester parkrun appearance took place ahead of a nearby festival engagement.