Community 82 year old runs Portsmouth iconic Great South Run for the 23rd time By Francesca Baker-Brooker Contributor Comment Published 4th Oct 2024, 14:45 BST Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now At 82 years and six months, Phil Pollard, from Alverstoke, Gosport, Hampshire, is still passionate about running. His commitment to sports has been a lifelong journey, starting with football.
"I guess I’ve always been sport-minded and very committed," Phil says. "For many years, I played and refereed football at high levels, but when that chapter came to an end, I needed something else to focus on. That’s when running became my sport.
It quickly took up a lot of my time, from training to racing." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Phil's connection with the Great South Run (GSR) is a long-standing one, dating back to its first event in 1990. He remembers it vividly.
"The first GSR in Southampton was a tough, hilly course with about 2,500 runners. It wasn’t an easy start!" Since then, the race has moved to Portsmouth , and Phil has enjoyed watching it evolve. "The Portsmouth GSR is much nicer," he explains.
"The views along Southsea seafront are beautiful, and running through the Naval Base is always a highlight. Now there are up to 20,000 runners, which shows just how much it’s grown." Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The News, you can g.