As he enters a new age group for competitions, lifelong runner and athletics coach Tim Payne has his eyes on the track ahead of him.
Only two days after his 75th birthday this March, Payne, an Oro-Medonte resident, will compete in the Ontario Masters Indoor Championships in Toronto. A week later he will compete in Florida for the World Masters Athletics Championships.
Payne started competing in masters races at 35, which is the minimum age for these competitions. Forty years and numerous medals later he is still running.
“Everybody that’s in athletics hopes that they can enter a new age group right after their birthday because it puts them in the right position for success,” said Payne.
Among the youngest in his group, Payne will run the 800m, 1,500m, and 3,000m races. “I’ve always had the motto of training to race,” he said.
Competition doesn’t overwhelm or discourage him. It’s a lifestyle. Payne aspires for top results while being realistic. He is happy to compete in athletics at his age, speaking highly of fellow athletes in Orillia and other peer competitors.
“Anybody who runs seriously is a master. And the calibre of some of the older age groups is outstanding,” he said.
With decades of coaching experience and 1,465 races logged to date, he has a casual yet targeted practice which he adapts to the seasons.
In the winter he often focuses on mixed training – the outdoor environment provides its own unique challenge – and in the spring he will focus on road racing, work on track and field in the summer, then cross country running in the fall.
He combines outdoor running with track work at the Orillia Recreation Centre or the 200m track at Base Borden, grateful to access both facilities.
As the competition nears, Payne is working on sprint drills and strength training. He also draws from yoga and pilates for improving range of motion.
Being active in his senior years doesn’t come without its demands.
In 2024, he had cataract surgery for both eyes, prior to which he had to be careful walking or running. Aging can make it difficult to keep up with physical activities, he notes.
“It’s like a race car with a flat tire, where you don’t have the mechanics to run anymore. I work hard at my running mechanics,” he said.
Four times a day, varying from five to 30 minutes, he stretches. Even the dreaded task of shovelling snow is like a workout for Payne; stretch before, be mindful of form and mix in different techniques, he says.
Payne said playing other sports complements his running, noting that retirement has allowed him to conveniently dedicate time for his athletic goals.
He praises his supporters: his wife Nancy Konyu, who is also a runner, other running friends, members from the Newmarket Huskies Track Club which he belongs to, and Dr. Larry Bell at Bell Chiropractic in Orillia.
“(Bell) keeps me tuned up and is a big reason for keeping me an efficient runner,” said Payne.
He continues to challenge himself at the independent sport by finding ways to improve his stride and use other activities to his advantage.
Playing drop in pickleball at the Orillia Recreational Centre involves a weekly focus on lunging, which he said also helps with running.
“Lots of times I train and race by effort. I know myself well enough that I know what I need to give to equal certain times,” he said.
Payne recently attend a mini meet at York University to run the 1000m race.
“It serves as a stepping stone to the world championships” which occur every two years and he said are rare to be held in North America.
The competitions ahead present Payne with a fresh thrill. Last year he placed fourth in a number of races. With the new age group in 2025 he believes he has a chance to place better and is all the more excited.
“I’ve tried to make my good fortune, but I’m so fortunate to be able to do this stuff,” he expressed, explaining that life can throw you an unexpected curve ball even while you train to be at your best.
With renewed vision, but the same sense of purpose, Payne will be cheered on by many at the Masters Athletics Championships.
What he said in his thirties he wouldn’t have thought possible, he is now achieving. Although he is hesitant to look too much further ahead into his eighties, Payne encourages everyone to test their potential.