Jenny Wood Allen, the former Dundee councillor who became a figure of inspiration for older people all over the UK through taking part in London Marathons in her 80s and 90s, passed away on Thursday at the age of 99.
Lord Provost John Letford paid tribute to her, saying, “Jenny was a Dundee worthy who will never be forgotten.”
Born in Dundee, she grew up in the Blackness area where she absorbed the community spirit that propelled her throughout her life.
Her talent for sport also emerged and she took up cycling with an enthusiasm that saw her become one of the fastest women cyclists in Scotland.
She went to work as a corsetiere with Spencer’s in Dundee in the 1950s and it was through that role that she began using her middle name of Wood to distinguish her from another corsetiere called Jenny Allen.
She quickly became confident in public speaking through the toastmistress organisation and in 1971 entered local politics.
Bravely wearing the Conservative rosette in the Whitfield housing estate, she took on such Labour stalwarts as Tom Moore and J. L. Stewart.
She was defeated three times but the experience did not deter her and after local government reorganisation she stood successfully in the West Ferry ward and held the seat for 14 years.
That came to a sad end in 1988 when the Dundee East Conservative Association deselected her for being “too old” at the age of 76.
The setback rankled with her, and she quipped at the time, “A lot of the members of the selection committee I could have run rings round.”To see a special gallery celebrating Jenny’s life, click here.Not one to rest up in her slippers, she confronted old age as a gateway and not a barrier to a fuller life.
She helped form the Running Sisters organisation to encourage women in general to run their way to greater fitness and health.
Bitten by the marathon bug during the early 80s running boom, Jenny entered the 1983 Dundee Marathon at the age of 71, but complained that she “couldn’t find anyone slow enough” to train with her.
She ran with her shopping bag so that people took less notice of her.
A doctor at Ninewells told her it would take her nine hours to complete the course and that she would be better off travelling by bus. She was not put off and finished it in five and a half.
Things quickly gathered pace. In the 1985 Dundee Marathon, she set a world best for women over 70 with a time of 4 hours 21 minutes.
It launched her into the athletics spotlight across Britain and beyond, and she had seldom been out of it since, twice running her way into the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest female marathon finisher, and fastest marathon time for a woman over 70.
She became as much at home in the Christmas Pudding race in Forfar as she was in the New York Marathon, where she was once sponsored by Sir Richard Branson.
Her 16 London Marathons included the 1996 event in which fellow Dundonian Liz McColgan was first and Jenny was last, the 35,000 field thinning out between them after the starting gun had sounded. But Liz hadn’t given three interviews along the way.
Energising local races, she raised over £30,000 for local charities, much of it in aid of the Cancer Research Campaign, a charity that has personal significance for her as she lost her husband Roy to the illness and then her eldest son Graham.
She also raised money for older people’s welfare organisations, motor neurone disease and the Sport for the Disabled Association.
In 2002 she entered the Guinness Book of Records for being at the age of 90 the oldest female marathon runner in the world.
Her status made her a national celebrity and she became an acquaintance of many of the country’s best-known athletes and media figures who converged on the prestigious event among them the late athletics commentator Ron Pickering, Sir Jimmy Saville and Gloria Hunniford.
She came home from one Big Apple marathon event with a crystal vase from Tiffany’s engraved by the New York Runners Club.
A long-serving member of the Dundee Sports Council, she donated a trophy under her name to the local sports association for the disabled.
Still active in other walks of life, she served as a magistrate at Dundee District Court, chairman of Dundee Teaching Hospitals Trust and achieved international honours with the toastmistress organisation.
Jenny was awarded an honorary MA degree from St Andrews University in 1993 and in 2004 she received the MBE for her services to running and her charity work.RelentlessIn 1996 she was made Dundee’s citizen of the year for her relentless and devoted work for the city and for charities.
Son Kenneth said his mother would be remembered for her public service and charitable work, but especially because she became “an icon for older people.”
“She showed older people what they could achieve, and that older age shouldn’t be seen as a time to stop doing things,” he added.
He had many memories of his mother but one that typified her was at one of her London Marathons.
“She was in her 80s and was knocked over by this big chap on the starting line,” he recalled.
“He maybe didn’t realise what he had done to this old lady in the crush of people who were all trying to start the race.
“But people around my mother picked her up, got her on her feet and she started running.
“She ran and she ran in her own consistent way. She knew her pace and she stuck to it.
“She was injured and was in pain. She was even bleeding but she kept going until something like 18 miles when stewards stepped in and made her stop on medical grounds.
“She wasn’t happy at being made to stop but that was her determined to do her best and to keep going.”
Another recollection that Kenneth would cherish was his mother’s regard for her home city.
She travelled the world and met many people many of them famous.Proud”She told them all that she was from Dundee, and she was very proud of that.”
Jenny lived on in the family home in the Douglas housing estate until about two months ago when ill health led to her being admitted to Royal Victoria Hospital, where she died on Thursday morning.
Jenny’s husband Roy died in 1991. In addition to Kenneth, she is survived by son Alistair, grandchildren and great grand-children. Graham died in 1994.
Mr Letford said, “This is very sad news indeed. Jenny was a much-loved human being and we all thought she would go on forever.
“Her devotion to the city was long and distinguished and she was deservedly awarded the title of citizen of the year in 1996.
“Her name became synonymous with the city and she will be greatly missed.”
Jenny Wood Allen always said she would run “til I drop.” When that happened, well, the epitaph had been prepared by her in advance:
“I have done my best in the race. I have finished the course and kept the faith.”