BY MARLA BALLARD
REPORTER
bamabell62@gmail.com
FORT PAYNE, ALA. -- Debbie Johnson, at 5 feet tall is known to her friends as “Little Debbie.” Johnson is also known as a runner. Being a runner is not remarkable since 50 million Americans run, according to a 2020 report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. However, Johnson is remarkable because she didn’t start running until the age of 67 and has continued now into her 70s.
At age 58 Johnson had a bad fall and decided to regain her strength she would take yoga along with some other exercise classes. Her newfound exercise friends were runners and encouraged her to take up running. “My friends said to run a minute and then walk a minute,” said Johnson. “My goal was to achieve running three miles. I never thought one day I would run half-marathons.” She has repeatedly proven she is capable of running an even greater distance than the 13.1 miles required in a half-marathon.
Johnson runs in all seasons and has at times run in 22-degree weather. She has run in races all over Alabama from Rainsville to Mobile. Cross-country races are her least favorite because of the terrain. “Other runners are faster than I am since I am so short. It takes me three steps to do what they do in two. By the time I top a hill in a cross country race they are out of my sight and the course is not always marked well,” said Johnson. “It is easy to get lost, especially when racing in the dark.”
Racers are given awards based on their ability in their designated age group. There have been times when Johnson was the only person in her age range racing in an event. “Surprisingly, it actually seems that now that I am in my 70s there is a little more competition than when I was in my 60s,” said Johnson. Johnson said her best time for a mile is about 10 minutes and that she generally averages anywhere from an 11-minute mile to a 13-minute mile.
In addition to being inspired by her fellow runners, she said she felt inspired when she found out that her granddaughter was joining the track team at school. “My running buddies are supportive, encouraging, and fun,” said Johnson. “I’m doing everything I can to avoid becoming a couch potato. I don’t want to be the type of grandma who just sits and watches television all day.”
Johnson has to deal with some health issues which have included; plantar fasciitis, sciatica, Sjogren’s syndrome, and being genetically predisposed for diabetes. Through it all, she remains steady in her efforts to do everything she can to stay as healthy and active as possible.
