“I never think about my age when I start running. I’m just grateful that I can still do this,” says Ágústa Guðrún Sigfúsdóttir, who will be 85 years old on June 21. She intends to celebrate the milestone in her usual way – with a running circle, as she has done three times a week for nearly four decades.
Ágústa was born in 1941 and grew up on Amtmannstíg in the heart of Reykjavík. That year, the American army took over the defense of Iceland, and rapid social changes left their mark on the capital, which grew rapidly during the war years. Ágústa therefore grew up in a time of great change in Icelandic society.
She went to Miðbæjarskólann and later to Verzlunarskóli Íslands before she went to study abroad. Ágústa studied physical therapy in Lund, Sweden and also lived for a while in Switzerland. She later moved with her then-husband to Mexico, where they lived for eight years. Their daughters, Valdís and Brynja, were born there.
After returning to Iceland, Ágústa worked in physiotherapy for years and was one of the founders of Physiotherapy in Kópavog, the oldest independent physiotherapy clinic in Iceland. She also did parent education, maternity gymnastics and birth preparation, which she says were her sheep and cows. It was precisely in Kópavogur, where she lived for 24 years, that she started jogging with her best friend, Rannveiga Gísladóttir, to whom she recently said her last goodbye.
Today, Ágústa lives in Seltjarnarnes, where she continues to run regularly.
Ágústa says she never thinks too much about her age, but is grateful to still be able to lace up her running shoes and keep going.
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“I was 49 at the time and not an experienced runner at all”
When asked about this unwavering passion for running, Ágústa says she doesn’t quite know what has kept her running all these years. However, she says that something woke up inside her when Margrét Jónsdóttir, the founder of Trimmklúbs Seltjarnarness, invited her to join the group, which was then taking its first steps.
“Yes, it was the summer of 1990. I was then 49 years old and not an experienced runner at all. But Margréti managed to form a running group and we regularly went jogging. That same summer I did my first half marathon, why wait?” says Ágústa and laughs. “A new world opened up for me there, a world that I am very grateful to have met. It was the outdoors, the company and the motivation. This group got us all going.”
Her first half marathon is still very fresh in her mind.
“Yes, I remember that day as if it had happened yesterday. My daughter said to me before I set off: ‘Mom, when you come running down Lækjargatan to the finish line, you want to smile. Don’t be drooling like some people who are completely giving up.'” Ágústa took her daughter’s words seriously. goal with a smile on my face, which I did.”
After the run, in a veritable euphoria, she went for a swim and relaxed in the hot tub. Then the fatigue finally set in. “I literally crawled out of the pool, just got home and went to bed. I couldn’t do anything else that day,” she laughs.
Ágústa started running at the age of 49.
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“It takes a lot for me to stop running”
In the following years, Ágústa built up a discipline that she believes has made a difference. On Saturdays, she ran alone from Skólavörðustíg down to Nauthólsvík and from there up the entire Elliðaárdalin.
“It was fifteen kilometers round trip. I always ran it once a week and then the other days with the running group.” She believes this foundation has allowed her to continue for so long. “I think this was the basis for me being able to endure in long-distance running all these years.”
Today, the running circles are shorter, but the commitment to the movement is as strong as before. Three times a week, Ágústa sets off on his regular round of the Seltjarnar peninsula.
“It takes a lot for me to skip a run. It really only takes a storm. I lace up my shoes and go around the headland, which is over five kilometers long. But I take a day of rest on Sundays.”
“Like a good psychology class”
Running is not the only exercise in Águsta’s life. In addition to regular runs, she also attends gymnastics with a physical therapist. She says exercise has been a key factor in both physical and mental health over the years.
“If I feel bad about something or I’m worried about something, I know that when I’ve run one lap, I’m balanced.”
Ágústa believes that regular exercise has helped her maintain good health. “I’ve never had any significant knee or musculoskeletal symptoms. I think it helps to keep going and not stop.”
Ágústa says that exercise not only helps her to keep her body moving, but also to clear her mind. “I talk to myself a lot when I’m running. If I have something to worry about, I’ve often paid it off when I get home. Sometimes running and gymnastics are just like a good psychological session.”
The running circle is a kind of psychology class for Ágústa, who says that there she often manages to resolve issues that are close to her heart.
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Wants to hear birdsong and waves
Many runners don’t set off without music or a podcast in their ears. Ágústa, however, has never been fascinated by it. “I want to hear the wind, the waves and the ambient sounds that surround me.”
On the hiking trails of Seltjarnarness, she also enjoys watching the diverse bird life and the nature around her on the runs. “There’s so much birdlife here. I want to hear the birds sing and see what’s going on around me.”
For Ágústa, however, running is not only about exercise, but also about connection with nature. “I think it should be as natural as possible.”
Never too late to start
As a physical therapist, Ágústa has long advocated the importance of exercise and considers it one of the best preventive measures available.
“I think the best prevention is to encourage older citizens to move. All municipalities should do more to keep people walking. The nation is getting older and when people stop working, it is important that they continue to move.”
She says that it is certainly pleasant to sit down with a good book, but that sitting still must not take over. “It’s good to relax, but it’s not good to sit still for too long.”
Ágústa also mentions swimming as an important part of exercise and health promotion, since it has long occupied a special place in the lives of the people of the country.
Her advice to those who think they are too old to start exercising is simple:
“It’s never too late. But you have to be careful, listen to your body and start slowly. Then you just start enjoying yourself.”
Ágústa says that running has taught her discipline and regularity, which has served her well in life.
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Grateful for every step
Although Ágústa will be 85 later in June, she says she never thinks about her age.
“Never. I never guess my age unless asked. When people express their surprise, I just smile.”
However, she is realistic about the future and is fully aware that it is not a given that she will still be able to start her regular running cycle. “Of course, one day I can’t run anymore. Then you just have to deal with it. But that day hasn’t come, not today, not tomorrow and hopefully not the next.”
She looks forward to her birthday with the same mindset as when she goes for a morning run.
“I’m just thankful that I can still do this.” This time her birthday falls on a Sunday, which is usually her day of rest. Will she break the rule?
“Let’s see. I’m not saying yes or no,” she replies with a smile.
Finally, Ágústa is asked what running has taught her. “They have taught me discipline and regularity. They have also taught me that I have a plan when something goes wrong. If I feel bad, I know that I feel better after a run. It’s not more complicated than that. And then I also sleep better.”
