Master runners share their experiences of becoming and being old

What is it about?

Aged embodiment Life history interviews Impact of history on people’s life trajectories and embodied experiences

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Why is it important?

An early example of how to capture corporeality in ageing - theoretically but also empirically, using life history interviews. The focus is not on being but becoming a runner but also remaining a runner: the labour of body maintenance required to harness physical capital and competence into the later years. The importance of taking a historical perspective to understand how meanings and values are informed by narratives and discourses which often predate people’s lifetimes. The secondary importance given to health and the primacy given to maintaining a running identity.