- Julia Hawkins, a centenarian runner, died at 108 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- Hawkins began running after she turned 100 when her sons signed her up for a 50-meter dash.
- Her longevity secrets include staying active, eating well, and finding the "magic moments" in life.
Julia Hawkins, a record-setting centenarian runner who picked up the sport after she turned 100, died on Tuesday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was 108.
Hawkins started running after her sons signed her up for a 50-meter dash during the Louisiana Senior Olympic Games in 2016, according to her obituary in The New York Times. It was her first track-and-field event, and she finished the race in 19 seconds. She ended up placing first in her age group, as she was the only competitor over 100.
She went on to compete in races across the country over the next few years, even setting world records in the 100-meter dash multiple times, per the World Masters Athletics.
Here are her five tips for living a long life.
1. Stay active
Hawkins credits her long life and good health to an active lifestyle.
"It's been an adventurous life and an active one," Hawkins told Guideposts. "I've been always doing something."
During her youth, she taught campers at a summer resort that her parents ran, she said. She also spent plenty of time outdoors, riding horses and playing golf.
Even before she picked up running, Hawkins was already competing in the Senior Olympics as a cyclist, she said. She decided to start running because she "thought it was fun."
"It was just fabulous to see these men and women exerting themselves, old as they were, keeping trim and keeping going," she said.
According to the CDC, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.
But even a little bit of exercise can go a long way: Recent studies have found even short bursts of physical activity — like an 11-minute dance break — can reduce the risk of early death.
"To stay in shape, just keep active. Keep your weight down and exercise," Hawkins told The New York Times in 2019.
2. Eat well, sleep well
Apart from regular exercise, Hawkins also takes care of herself by paying attention to her diet and lifestyle habits.
Her only guilty pleasures are iced coffee and hot tea, she told The Washington Post in 2021.
Both drinks have beneficial health properties if consumed in moderation. Research suggests drinking coffee can reduce a person's risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. Likewise, drinking two or more cups of black tea a day may stave off heart disease and stroke.
"I'm careful about what I eat," Hawkins said. "I sleep well. I don't smoke or drink. I do all the right things."
3. Try new things
Being unafraid to try new things helps keep her young, Hawkins said.
"I'm constantly trying new things, not backing down from invitations and the chance to meet new people," she told Run Lovers in 2022.
After all, it's this go-getter attitude that led her to start running.
"When I was 100 years old, I thought it was time to try running the 100 meters, and I did. I've been in love with running ever since," she said.
Indeed, having a positive outlook can go a long way: One study has found that people with a positive mindset toward aging lived about seven and a half years longer than people with less positive perceptions of aging.
4. Find the "magic moments" in life
Aging well also means finding purpose through passions, Hawkins said.
"I believe when you get older, you should have magic moments and passions because older people have to have something to look forward to, something to be ready for, something to care about," Hawkins told Guideposts.
And even the little things in life are to be appreciated.
"I do care about a lot of things. I care about flowers and birds, sunrises, and sunsets. I've seen so many wonderful things in my life," she said.
Longevity researchers — who have met and studied over 1,000 centenarians — found that most of these super-agers never stopped being busy.
"Even if they're not working at 100, they find a way to fill their days, spending time in society or with family, reading newspapers — a variety of different activities. Even when they're not in good physical condition anymore, they still have a way to stimulate themselves mentally," Fabrizio Villatoro, a researcher with LongeviQuest, an organization that validates the ages of the world's oldest people and shares their stories in a database, told BI previously.
5. Marry the right partner
One of the most important relationships in her life was the one she shared with her late husband, Murray Hawkins.
She met him on her first day as a student at Louisiana State University, she told The Times.
"As soon as I saw him," she said. "I knew that was the person I wanted to spend my life with."
They spent seven decades together before he died in 2013.
"Marry a good man and your life will be wonderful, wondrous — that's the name of the book that I wrote," Hawkins told the Times, referring to the name of her memoir, which was published in 2016.
An 85-year-long Harvard study found that those with strong personal relationships were not only happier but also lived longer.