All eyes on Florence Barron, rarin' to go in the 91st Tely 10 - Action News
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All eyes on Florence Barron, rarin' to go in the 91st Tely 10

Florence Barron won't be the first person to cross the finish line in Sunday's Tely 10, but her time could carry the most meaning.

80-year-old runner is on pace for a record-breaking run

Florence flashes her smile at the Tely 10 finish line as she prepares for Sunday's race. (Jeremy Eaton/CBC)

Florence Barron won't be the first person to cross the finish line in Sunday's Tely10, but her time could carry the most meaning.

Barron, who turned 80 in April, has a chancenot only to break, but shatter, the fastest-ever recorded time for any woman over 80 who has run the race.

"It's not something I think about,"she said.

"I'm just gonna run.I've been training well all summer so I think I'm ready for it."

She's an extraordinary athlete.- Art Meaney

Barron is the currentrecord holder for the 75-79 female age group; her time last year of 1:27:28 is also the fastest she's ever run in her 20 years of Tely10 competition.

"You can be this age and you can be fit," Barron said.

"I never think of being old.I always think young."

Barron crosses the Tely 10 finish line in 1:27:28 in 2017. (Larry's Running Photos)

Forever modest, Barron is quick to offer praise to her coach, Art Meaney aTely10 veteranand the 1979 champion.

"I'm flattered," Meaney said.

"I just give people like Florence advice and they have to go out and do the work. They have to go and do the training and the work."

Barron trains five days out of seven and enters as many races as she can. She sometimes avoids telling her five kids because they like to brag about Mom a little too much, she said.

Art Meaney, the 1979 Tely 10 champion, has high praise for Barron. (Jeremy Eaton/CBC)

Meaney has been involved with running since his days at St. Bonaventure's College in the 1960s, and his passion for the sport led him into the coaching world. He's seen a lot of runners over the years, but not many like Barron.

"Remarkable woman. Atrue inspiration to all kinds of people men and women whether they're in their 60s 70s or 80s or even a much younger age category," Meaney said.

"She's anextraordinary athlete."

Barron is an inspiration to all runners, included the fastest female to ever cross the finish line in a Tely10.

"Florence is incredible," said Kate Bazely, who ran a 55:34 race in 2016.

"She's such an inspiration for me. She is a world-class runnerand she could be going for a world record time."

Bazeley, amother of three girls under the age of five, will be there to cheer Barron on when she crosses the finish line. However, she still has to run her own race.

After missing last year's race following the birth of her youngest daughter, Bazeleyhas since had surgery and a few minor injuries.

"Normally I do have a prediction and I'm honest," she said. "This time it's really just torun hardthe whole time and whatever that gives me whenI cross the line."

in 2016 Kate Bazeley broke the female record for the Tely 10. (Biped Sports)

While Bazeley's time will be faster than most, this year more eyes will be on Barron than her or two-time defending champ Colin Fewer.

At 80 years old, it's possible Barron will set a record for her age group that could stand for a long, long time.

Or until next year, when she comes back to run again.

The gun goes off at 8 a.m. on Sunday in Paradise to mark the start of the Tely 10's 91st running.