Just over a month after celebrating his 100th birthday, Roy Allen is preparing to walk the 5K during Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend on May 23, making him the first centenarian to complete the distance in the event's history.
A Walk for Charity
Allen's participation is not just a personal milestone; it is also a fundraising effort for four Ottawa-area seniors organizations. He has already raised over $7,000 for the Council on Aging of Ottawa, the Dementia Society, Perley Health, and the Gloucester 50+ Centre. These organizations have provided support to Allen and his wife of 64 years, Melba, who lives with dementia.
The idea for the walk came from Allen's daughter, Sarah Bercier, who serves as executive director of the Council on Aging. "He's super healthy," Bercier said. "I just thought it would be really cool to do this, and as he got closer to 100, I thought, 'Oh, maybe we really could.'" She described her father as resilient, noting he is the last surviving sibling and cousin in his generation.
Race Details
Allen will be among approximately 9,000 participants in the 5K race on May 23. Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, organized by Run Ottawa, is Canada's largest multi-day race event, with 38,000 registered runners competing in distances from 2 to 42.2 kilometers on May 23-24. Mike Vieira, race director at Run Ottawa, believes Allen is the oldest person ever to attempt the 5K. In 2023, 96-year-old Rejeanne Fairhead set a world record for the fastest 5K by a woman aged 95-99 at the same event.
"Every year, we have hundreds of people over the age of 60 who compete," Vieira said. "It's great. That's the whole point of this—that people go and try to do things beyond their comfort level, for family, friends, charity, or to challenge themselves."
Allen's Health and Lifestyle
Allen attributes his longevity to lifestyle choices: "I never smoked, never drank alcohol, never did recreational drugs, and only one wife—no fooling around." He has maintained an active lifestyle, walking regularly during his years in Winnipeg. "He used to walk to work. He would take the bus, but he would walk until the bus came. He wouldn't just stand at the bus stop for half an hour," Bercier recalled.
Allen also practiced gymnastics until age 23 and swam frequently. He followed the Royal Canadian Air Force's 5 Basic Exercises Plan until age 60, then created his own routine. Although he had reduced his formal walking since moving to Ottawa a decade ago, he recently walked four kilometers without difficulty and completed a five-kilometer walk around Place d'Orléans Shopping Centre on May 9. His family is optimistic for a similar performance on race day.
