'A wee guy fae Cumbernauld': ex-paratrooper, 90, sets world-best 10k time

From the Newshound archive · first published 21 September 2026 · last updated 22 September 2026.

Ian Winship, a 90-year-old former paratrooper and steeplejack from Cumbernauld, is believed to have set a world-best time for his age group after completing the Cumbernauld 10k on 13 September in one hour, four minutes and 37 seconds. He ran alongside his daughter Fiona Fleming and grandson Kyle Fleming, making it a three-generation family finish.

Scottish Athletics classifies it a 'world best' rather than a 'world record' because non-professional road events lack the required precision for official ratification.

Winship said he 'stood greetin'' when told his time, adding: 'You can't get your mind around a world record — a wee guy fae Cumbernauld.'

His only secret, he says, is exercise: 'I've got a purpose, I want to stay alive — if I sit in the house I'll vegetate.'