I'm 33 this year too and I don't think it's anywhere near too old to be tackling half and full marathons for the first time. I only started racing aged 29 (after running for 3 years before that) and I expect to continue to improve well into my 30s before the inevitable age-related decline. So I say take your time, get comfortable with the 10k first, and get to the longer distances (if you decide you want to) with more years and miles of running behind you!

I am not in the UK but jumping in to say that I don't think you are ever too old to run a half marathon. I began running in December 2013 at age 66. Ran my first half six months later and my second half four months after that. Now I am training for another half in May and my fourth one in July. I am slow but love running and hope to do it until I am into my 80s at least. Hope that you enjoy the half distance as much as I have. Best wishes!

I'm in the UK. Got a 10k race tomorrow, my second half booked for May, third Half in July and a 30 mile fell ultra in September. I'm 57 , didn't start running until I was 54, and like suetorrence hope to still be running in my 80's. OK so I'm not fast but that doesn't stop me enjoying my running.

I'm a 42 y-o woman living in south Wales. I started running in May-13 at 300lbs, ran my first HM in Jun-14 and ended up doing 6 HM's last year taking my PB from 2:40 to 1:55. I'm still about 15lbs from goal but am currently training for this year's London Marathon (have my second 20 mile race tomorrow) and have my first Ultra soon too. I've found the increased mileage has also led to an increase in speed over the shorter distances (took 11s off my 10k PB 3 weeks ago and 23s off my 5k PB this morning). I'm no expert being a new runner but have had lots of help and advice from members of my Running Club

started running at 38 years old and have run 6 marathons now. There were three men running in the 75-79 age category in the last marathon I ran. Just saying....33 is not "old."

I guess the original question was not 'is it old' but more 'is it approaching too old to do well at marathons', and I think the answer is definitely no, as a lot of female marathon runners run their best times in their mid to late thirties.

I've also heard (no scientific basis whatsoever, just anecdotally!) that you're likely to improve for a good few years after you take up running. So if you've been doing it since your teens, 33 might be a bit on the late side to move up to marathons, but if you've only just started at 32 then I'd argue it is way too early.

Yes, of course 60 year olds run marathons. I have a good friend who took up running aged 53 and will most likely break 3:30 for the marathon at 56 this year. I'm also pretty sure that if she'd taken up running in her 30s she'd have been a lot faster, though. Almost certainly faster than me. There may well be an optimum age, but I think the message we can all get from this is that we need to work with our own situation - we're trying to get the most out of the years of running we can put in, whatever age we start at, and we don't need to think in terms of 'better get on with it; time's running out'.

That's ace plateaued! I hope I'm still running at 70, though I think I might give up full marathons before then.

I started running about 11 years ago. I ran a 3:10 marathon at age 45 and I'm not done yet. 30s is definitely not "too old" for anything, except maybe playing running back in the NFL.