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Earl's Running And Character Quite A Fee-t

January 25, 2025 5 min read 8 Comments

Earl's Running And Character Quite A Fee-t

Earl Fee, 95, wants to run when he is 100. How does he explain his goal-setting and ambition? Find out below. You might be surprised that we all have Earl's version of the it factor. (Photo by Rob Jerome).

 

By Ray Glier

Earl Fee quickly tells you he is still running at 95 years old because of “good genes.” Still, his DNA does not entirely explain how the man holds 10 world records in Masters track. His DNA also does not explain his book on poetry, as well as five other books, or how he made a career in nuclear science.

Genes do not explain his intangibles of ambition, humility, diversity of talent, and goal-setting. All those things course through his blood, along with his above average cell structure, a complex interplay of nature and nurture we all have. Call it the it factor.

What else accounts for Fee's it factor?

It's this.

Decades ago, Earl had a mentor when it came to ambition and goal-setting. His grandfather, Thomas Hampton, wanted to build his mother a house in Toronto and Thomas built that house for his mom….before he was 20 years old. Hampton also had a goal to be a farmer, so as a young man he hopped a westbound freight train and jumped off in Saskatchewan and became a farmer. Thomas also wanted to be skilled in poetry and learned to recite the masters, which he did often to his grandson, Earl.

"He was my hero," Earl said.

That grandson, who has broken dozens of world records indoors and outdoors in 38 years of Masters track running, and keeps those 10 for himself, knows all about the value of goals from his grandfather. Fee says you have to have good genes to run as long as he has, but those genes need a partner in the intangibles of ambition and goal-setting.

It’s not good to wander in life, he said, especially where your fitness is concerned. Have a goal, Earl insists.

“I had a goal to break some records,” Fee said. “And now I have a goal to be running at 100, or over 100.”

One of the joys of writing about people close to 60 years old and over is to find out where their intangibles came from. What people, or events, had influence over them?

Ask yourself, "Where do my intangibles come from?"

The indoor track season has started and Fee figures he will be out there soon at the track at York University. He had a one-day hospital stay recently because of a build-up of fluids, so it has delayed his fun of the run, but he is close to ready.

Earl had an idea to go to Gainesville, Fla., for the World Masters Athletics championships (March 23-30), but the $5,000 cost was too much.

There is no doubt Fee would make a splash in Florida. He usually does wherever he goes.

But Earl will settle for local meets. People know him because, well, how many 95-year olds are out there in the neighborhood who own world records in the indoor 400 meters (M85, M90) and outdoor 400 meters (M85, M90), indoors and outdoors 800 meters (M70, M90), indoors 800 ( 70, 75), outdoor 200 meters hurdles (M85), and outdoors 300 hurdles (M80, no longer run)?

As far as anyone knows, Fee is the oldest man to run his age in the 400 meters. He ran 89.15 seconds at 90 years old in 2019.

But why else are we here with this particular gray star?

His grandfather wasn’t Earl’s sole illuminant. Fee was 57 when his two young sons, Curtis and Tyler, started to run. He went with them to their “training camp” and discovered he still had some juice after 35 years off from running in school.

Earl was so good at 66 years old he was drug tested twice at the 1995 World Association of Veteran Athletes, the forerunner of the WMA. He set world records in that meet (M65) in the 400 (57.97), 800 (2:14.33) and the 300 Meters Hurdles (45.71).

So before you think Earl has these current world records because he simply out-lived the competition, know that as a 60-year old and 65-year old, he was stout. Fee’s 800 meters world-record time in Buffalo stood for 25 years. It is less than a second off the current world mark of 2:13.74 set in 2023 by Great Britain’s Paul Forbes. Given the evolution of training and equipment that is remarkable.

Fee was 76 when World Masters Athletics named him its 2005 Athlete of the Year. He won the award again 2019.

His grandfather taught him about goals, his sons re-ignited him, and Earl contributed something mighty to his legacy.

“There is no greatness without humility,” he said. “If you let it go to your head, you won’t be very popular."

What he allowed to go to his head was “confidence.”

Fee’s confidence helped him become a pioneer of nuclear power for civilian use (electricity) for 35 years. He studied mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto (undergrad and Masters) and worked in atomic energy of Canada, which was a limited number of people with that expertise.

Where he was a pioneer in track in Canada was training. He was one of the first to simulate the 800 meters race in the pool. In his 60s, with a belt strapped around his waist, he ran upright in the water at 100 percent.

"It gives the legs a rest, there is no pounding," Earl said. "I would simulate an 800 in the water, same time, same effort, and with good form."

Earl did that twice a week and used the track three times a week. On Sunday, Fee would do longer running and that further built his endurance for the stretch runs of his 800s.

You can see from his form in pictures from photographers Rob Jerome and Shaggy Smith, Fee paid attention to technique.

Earl was not without challenges. In a Facebook post first seen by journalist Ken Stone, Fee described a cataract surgery seven years ago that went sideways.

“Two dropped items at bottom inside [of] my eye — a very rare problem,” he wrote. “An urgent second operation two days later to remedy the problem was essential. I spare you the gory details. I look on the bright side; I had the top eye surgeon at the large St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto. And the operation was done quickly.”

Five months later, at the top of his age group in M85, Fee still took a bronze in the 400 and a silver in the 800 at the worlds in Malaga, Spain. He was 89.

That should be a good reason to take a look at his book 100 Years Young as Earl motors on toward his goal of running at 100.

Earl also has an expert point of view in his book The Complete Guide To Running; How To Be A Champion from 9 To 90. 

And don't forget his poetry book The Wonder Of It All.

The book I’m interested in is the one Fee is working on now, which is an update of his autobiography. When it’s published, we can get a closer look at those two Earl Fee partners in life: nature and nurture.

Please support Geezer Jock.

One more look at the stride and upright pose of Earl Fee. (Photo by ShaggysPhotos.com).


8 Responses

Lane Lewallen
Lane Lewallen

February 01, 2025

Another great article about a very inspirational athlete! Thank you.

Nanci Patten
Nanci Patten

February 01, 2025

Not only does Earl have “athletic” and “ambition” as his strengths, he also processes: strength of character, generosity and the willingness to encourage others at an “Olympic” level. You couldn’t ask for a better “friend”.

Rosie Schutte
Rosie Schutte

January 29, 2025

Great story Ray! Thanks for all your work putting this newsletter out!

EARL FEE
EARL FEE

January 26, 2025

Thank you Ray. As usual you have done a very complete description of an athletes goals, accomplishments and the reasons behind it all. All in all very entertaining writing. Thank you for an excellent job on my behalf. Keep it up.

Henry Wolstat
Henry Wolstat

January 26, 2025

Great Story. I’m 90 and was on a 4 man relay that set an indoor American record for 400 meters in the 85-89 age group. I’m originally from Toronto, a retired psychiatrist and have also published a book of poetry.

Neil Moore
Neil Moore

January 25, 2025

Earl’s story is an inspiration, showing us that we, as a society, set the bar far too low (in terms of athletics) for older adults. We expect too little of our seniors, but Earl demonstrates what is possible.

Harley Myler
Harley Myler

January 25, 2025

INCREDIBLE! Kudos Earl and best of luck hitting that centurion target!

Karla Del Grande
Karla Del Grande

January 25, 2025

I love how Ray has emphasized Earl’s goal setting, his quiet confidence, his pool running, and above all, his dedication to longevity. All are part of Earl’s “secret sauce.” Not so secret really, if you read his books and insightful articles like this. Be like Earl. That’s what I aim to do. Thanks, Ray, for this, and thanks, Earl, for the inspiration.

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