Albany runner Kathleen Hannig will complete her 500th parkrun at Middleton Beach on Saturday, reaching the milestone after years of taking part in the weekly community event.
The 86-year-old will mark the occasion at Mt Clarence parkrun, a free, timed 5km run and walk held every Saturday morning along Albany’s foreshore.
Hannig remains an active competitor and has shown no indication that the landmark run will be her last. Earlier this year, she won the women’s over-85 10km title at the WA Masters Athletics Championships in Perth, setting both Western Australian and Australian records for the distance in her age category.
Running has also played an important role in helping Hannig manage functional neurological disorder, which developed after she contracted Covid-19 in 2020 and affected her ability to walk and run.
She has previously said that running helped her regain mobility and that she does not intend to allow the condition to take over her life.
Beyond Saturday’s parkrun milestone, Hannig is aiming to compete at the World Masters Games in Perth in 2029, shortly before her 90th birthday.
