I’ve just discovered the Facebook Hip Resurfacing Resource Group  after a Google search about running during one’s senior years. I am now 68 and had my left hip resurfaced, due to arthritis, just over 3 years ago. So far things are going well and there are no problems to report.

I’m particularly pleased about my problem free hips at present because I have just completed a marathon and all the training associated with that. In my case, due to my advancing years, I restricted myself to 3 training runs a week i.e. plenty of recovery time between runs.

The marathon in question, as can be seen from the photo, was the Bhutan International Marathon held on March 7th. I didn’t set any course records but at least managed to cross the finish line. That was hugely satisfying.

I’m back at home in New Zealand now and thinking about my next challenge.

Anyway I hope my humble tale can provide provide confidence and reassurance to anyone contemplating an operation. For me it was hugely successful so I’m lucky. Pre the op I could no longer run and I found that a huge blow.

My surgeon was Hugh Blackley and he is based in Auckland. The prosthesis is a chrome cobalt surface replacement femoral head and cup. Total cost of the complete procedure was around $NZ30,000.

If you look on Hugh’s website you will see a photo of me running the Luxmore Grunt in 2024 just over a year after the op. I’d sent Hugh details of my run as the progress report of a very happy customer. My picture (with permission) duly ended up on his revamped website.

Originally I found out about hip resurfacing via Google. When I was researching a solution to my arthritis the only option suggested by the GP was a hip replacement. End of story. It wasn’t even mentioned that resurfacing was a tried and tested option which would allow me to run again. Hence now I’m always keen to spread the resurfacing word.