World War II RAF veteran aged 102 becomes the oldest person to complete a half-marathon
- Bill Cooksey raised £1,5000 for the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust
- The 102-year-old grandfather complete the course in five hours and 41 minutes
A World War II hero has become the oldest person to complete a half-marathon at the age of 102.
Grandfather Bill Cooksey completed the AJ Bell Great North Run on Sunday in less than six hours – 70 years after he served in the RAF.
The centenarian walked the 13.1 mile course with the aid of a friend who guided him from the start line in Newcastle to the finish in South Shields in South Tyneside.
The former English teacher, who walked around six miles a week in training prior to the big day, ran while battling a torrential thunderstorm.
Thankfully, his team had an umbrella on hand and the veteran pushed through to make it to the finish line, completing the course in five hours and 41 minutes.
The centenarian walked the 13.1 mile course with the aid of a friend who guided him from the start line in Newcastle to the finish in South Shields in South Tyneside
Speaking at the end, Bill, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, who served with the RAF from 1941 to 1951, said: ‘I am glad I have done it.
‘I wish we didn’t have to go through all that rain – but we did it.’
The pensioner initially said he wanted to complete the half marathon as a new challenge after already undertaking most of the long distance hikes in the north of England.
The mammoth feat has seen him raise around £1,5000 for the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust, with more donations still to be counted.
Pat Chambers, charity development manager at the trust, said: ‘What a hero Bill Cooksey is.
The veteran pushed through to make it to the finish line, completing the course in five hours and 41 minutes
‘He continued walking through a thunderstorm to become a record breaker completing it in just over five hours 40 minutes.
‘We are so proud of him.’
According to TeesideLive, Bill was on ‘death’s door’ in 2020 and was receiving palliative care at the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust.
Thankfully, Bill came back fighting, and last year, the RAF veteran raised over £1,600 for the NHS Trust in a 1000-mile tri-cycle challenge in Newton Aycliffe, targeting 20 miles a day Monday to Friday over 10 weeks.
In 2021, Bill raised almost £2,600 for the same NHS Trust, smashing his target of £500, by walking 100 miles in 10 days.
After completing the tri-cycle challenge last year, The World War II hero said: ‘You wouldn’t believe how valuable the work County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust Charity does – it is a charity supplying items which aren’t deemed ‘vital to patient care’ but which are so valuable to making hospital stays and treatment a more comfortable experience,’ according to Peachy Digital.
He added: ‘From the chairs your visitors sit on, to toys and colouring books on children’s wards, even fridges for the nursing staff to store food in to keep them replenished while caring for patients around the clock – it’s all provided by the charity.’
Bill’s military career included four years in the Middle East, as well as working on board an air sea rescue flight supporting the 8th army in Benghazi.
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