The important thing is to participate. This is a phrase that is often reserved as a consolation after a poor performance. But in the case of Lucie Laroche, the maxim takes on its full meaning.
At the venerable age of 82, Mr.me Laroche was the oldest participant in the Montreal Marathon weekend. When she learned of this feat, she barely blinked. “I was sure of it, and to be honest, it doesn’t bother me too much,” she replied.
As the discussion progresses, we will eventually realize that there is not much that can bother M.me Laroche. When she crosses the finish line of the half marathon, after 3 hours 24 minutes, she looks at us and smiles.
Other participants complain of pain, curling up on the ground. Yet, on M’s foreheadme Laroche, not a single drop of sweat drips.
“It wasn’t too difficult,” she says, looking casual. “But I’m not happy with my time. Last year, I did it in 15 minutes less.”
Normally, the golden-age athlete alternates between running and fast walking. This edition, she stuck to walking. Her performances were limited by discomfort in her left calf. To the point where a friend who followed her performances on the circuit suggested she give up.
“There was no question of that! I’m much too proud for that. I would have finished the half, no matter what,” she says, laughing.
Many would have been disappointed if Mme Laroche had dropped out. To be more precise, the 57 people who finished the half marathon slower than she probably would have been. For long stretches of the race, participants – younger than her – decided to follow her to force themselves to pick up their pace.
“That’s how it is when you walk: there’s always someone watching you,” explains M.me Laroche. There were people who recognized me from previous years.”
Among the 4,486 women who took part in the half marathon, Mme Laroche finished at 4448e rank. But that’s not the number you should remember. Lucie Laroche mainly finished first among women aged 80 and over. A group of which she was the only member.
Walking, the fountain of youth
It was only at the age of 70 that Lucie Laroche began to participate in running competitions. Before that, she was caring for her mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Supporting her was stressful, and little by little, brisk walking became an outlet, along with aquafitness and golf.
When his mother died, Mme Laroche decided to fully embrace running, competing in events of various distances, in several different cities.
Since then, she has been going for a brisk walk every day. Without exception. “Sometimes, I’m tired. I don’t feel like it. But I go for a walk, and afterward, everything is fine. It takes my mind off things, it gives me energy,” explains the woman who worked as a sales clerk at Énergir.
She admits that her friends don’t really seem to understand the magnitude of the events she’s taking part in. Her daughter and granddaughter live on Vancouver Island. Mme Laroche is therefore counting on a small circle in Montreal to support her.
If it is not for the recognition of others, what drives her to perform, at the age of 82?
“The medals!” she says with a smile, brandishing the one she wears around her neck. The eleventh, which she will keep preciously at home with the others.
The feeling she gets when she crosses the finish line remains her favourite moment. “It’s really something when you finish, when you see people cheering for you. The moment you realize you made it is always special,” shares the Rivière-des-Prairies resident.
Given his leg discomfort and his age, Mr.me Laroche is considering retiring from competitions. But if you pay attention, you might see her power walking on the streets of your neighborhood for “a long time to come.”
“When you’re older, you have to get out of the house. You don’t have to do half-marathons like me: but getting out is so important. You should never stop,” she insists.
“You never know how much time you have left to live. It’s even more true for me. So all you have to do is try to make the most of it. Never stop moving.”
On that, we must let M go.me Laroche: she still has to walk the kilometer that separates her from the metro station to get home.
A trio of Canadian winners
In the women’s race, three Canadians filled the podium steps of the Montreal Marathon. Mélanie DesAutels (2:46:16) took first place, followed by Janie Grand’Maison (2:48:22) and Catherine Paul (2:59:17).
Despite her winning status, Mélanie DesAutels seemed somewhat disappointed with her performance. Her initial goal was to “get under 2 hours 40 minutes.”
“My initial goal was to beat my personal best,” said the Franco-Manitoban, in an interview with The Press. I had some fierce opposition at the beginning, so I changed my strategy and just went for the win.”
It was a second victory at the Montreal Marathon for DesAutels, after a first triumph in 2022. She had taken a break in 2023, to concentrate fully on her cross-country season at the University of Sherbrooke.
“I knew it was neither a foregone conclusion nor a foregone conclusion. I had to work hard, but I’m happy, my legs and my mental strength held up,” analyzed the candidate for the engineering profession.
Kenyan Philemon Kibet Kiptanui won the men’s event in 2 hours 7 minutes 15 seconds.