Ken Campbell says he never liked sport, but then one day he kept his wife company on a trail run and discovered the joy of being out in the wild
When Ken Campbell’s wife, Susan, injured her foot, she needed support to rejoin her running group, so Campbell went along to keep her company and share in the recovery. “We were just walking at the beginning,” he says. “And I was heavy. I weighed over 200lb [14st 4lb or 90kg].” But as the weeks and months passed, the weight fell away, Susan recovered – and Campbell’s abilities grew. At the age of 63, he ran 50km, and at 70, he ran through the night to complete a 100km ultramarathon.
Before Susan’s injury, Campbell, who is now 71, had last attempted athletics at high school. Even then, he mostly did triple jump. When he was a copy editor at the Sacramento Bee for 20 years, fitness entailed simply cycling to work and using the gym. “I don’t like sports,” he insists. But this seems incredible, given his achievements. “I wouldn’t say this is a sport,” he says. “I’d call it ‘an activity’.” Campbell is also a jazz guitarist with swing bands.
