“Alec and Elaine Vincent are a lovely running couple, they are both very supportive of the club.”

Those are the words of Tewkesbury Running Club chairman Nigel Tillott and it’s fair to say that the husband and wife, who are both in their mid-50s, have made a big impression at the club in recent times.

They’ve been members of Tewkesbury Running Club for about eight years, although they were running for a good while before that.

“We used to run just for fun and to get fit,” said Alec, who is 55. “Elaine started running after our two sons were born, so it would have been around 2000.

“She did a couple of half marathons, she ran the Tewkesbury Half Marathon in the early 2000s in two hours, 20 minutes.”

Elaine had been a keen horse rider when she was younger while Alec was into cycling, rock climbing and mountaineering.

“I wasn’t terribly good at ball sports,” he admitted, although once Elaine had started to run he decided to get himself a pair of running shoes too.

“I ran the Chippenham Half in 2009,” he recalled. “Elaine wanted to run a sub two-hour half which is something she achieved, running is very addictive when you get into it.”

So addictive that Elaine decided to join Tewkesbury Running Club, something that Alec did soon after.

“I was against it to start with,” he admitted, although he’s obviously very happy now that he took the plunge.

“I’m very addictive, I race against myself, I ran the Tewkesbury Half laser year in one hour, 27 which is my PB”

He’s also completed a Half Ironman, although again it was Elaine leading the way.

“We both decided we wanted to do a Half Ironman when we were 50,” explained Alec. “Elaine is 56 so she did it a year before me.”

They both took part in the Cotswold 113 at Cotswold Water Park and Alec continued: “I think I finished in a tad under six hours. I could do the cycling and running but I’m not the most efficient swimmer!”

He is a very efficient runner however. He’s just run his first marathon, completing the Broadway Trail Marathon in four hours 35 minutes, and has run 18.06 for a 5K and sub 38 minutes for the 10K.

Elaine’s times are improving as well. Her best half marathon time is one hour, 50 and she runs a 23-minute 5K and 48 minutes in the 10K.

“Initially it was all about losing weight and keeping fit,” said Alec. “I’d got a bit overweight, I was 95 kilos and now I’m down to 82.

“But running is great for your mental well-being too. It’s a great head clearer if you’ve had a rubbish day, running is great for that and I enjoy being fit.”

And Alec and Elaine aren’t the only people in their family who are fit because their oldest son Ben plays rugby for Newent.

He’s a number 8 and is clearly good because the Forest of Dean club are flying high in Regional 2 Midlands West, a division that includes the likes of Cheltenham Tigers and Stow-on-the-Wold.

“I helped coach my son from under-7s through to under-16s when he was with Bredon,” said Alec, who lives in Bushley and was educated at Bournside School in Cheltenham.

Newent Rugby Club are an established club, of course, as are Tewkesbury Running Club, a club for whom Alec has nothing but praise.

“They’re a really friendly club,” he said. “They suit our needs perfectly. We enjoy the atmosphere at the club and we’ve made a lot of friends.

“Nigel Tillott is an amazing chairman, he does so much for the club and for charity.”