Life in the fast lane: Marathon man Mo Ewasha on moving to a retirement development

Move over Mo Farah: he won’t be the only Mo competing in next year’s London Marathon to the applause of cheering fans.

The March 2018 event will be the four-time Olympic champion’s first race over the 26.2-mile distance but, perhaps more impressively, it will also be a first for 69-year-old Mo Ewasha – despite being semi-retired.

The part-time taxi driver has been running since he was 18 but since moving to McCarthy & Stone’s Springhill House in Willesden Green, north London, he’s had more time for his hobbies, which include running six times a week covering 30 miles.

“Since moving here I’ve had more time to enjoy the things I love most,” says Mo. “From my part-time job as a taxi driver to running most mornings and spending my afternoons gardening, McCarthy & Stone has really opened up a new way of life for me.”

Despite initially being reluctant to move to a retirement development, he’s found that life has not slowed down.

It’s just taken some new directions: “I still feel young at heart because I’m so active,” he says. “I have recently been accepted to run the London Marathon for the Royal Voluntary Service thanks to McCarthy & Stone, which helped me to reach my minimum fundraising target with its generous donation of £1,000.

“It will be the most fantastic experience, and I hope that I continue to raise even more money for this wonderful charity.”

Ironically, Springhill House has always had a special place in Mo and wife Pauline’s hearts, he says: “It used to be the register office, where we got married over 42 years ago.

“It is so lovely to now be living in the exact spot where our marriage first began. There’s something quite magical about that – like it was meant to be!”

The over-60s development only has four apartments still for sale, ranging from £446,950 for a one-bedroom flat to £599,950 for two-bedrooms (0800 201 4743; mccarthyandstone.co.uk).

There’s a club lounge for coffee mornings and residents can help out in the communal gardens, while another plus is the security entrance system and 24-hour emergency call points

“Our concierge is the heart and soul of the development. She is always here to make sure that we are happy and entertained and is so helpful and friendly,” says Mo, who adds that organised fish and chips Fridays and theatre trips have helped to create a sociable atmosphere: “Recently we even went for afternoon tea at the Shard together.”

It’s a similar story at Renaissance Retirement’s new development in Romsey, a small market town near the New Forest in Hampshire, where owners take part in weekly yoga and Pilates sessions specially tailored to their age-group.

Some have also started their own indoor bowls club: “We started in the owners’ lounge but it was such a success that it has now been moved to the wide corridors of the second floor to accommodate more people,” says Eira Fazackerley, 79.

Eira and her husband Eric set up the club because they were keen crown green bowlers and Eric, 83, adds: “It’s a nice gentle bit of exercise and gets owners out of their apartments. We regularly have 10 or more bowlers every week which is wonderful.”

Only two apartments remain at Fleur-de-Lis Romsey, a five-minute walk from the town centre, close to Romsey Golf Club and a short drive from the famous Sir Harold Hillier Gardens.

A two-bedroom apartment with ensuite bathroom is for sale at £465,000 (01794 514349; renaissancegroup.co.uk) and, like the McCarthy & Stone flats, comes fully fitted with carpets, double glazing, kitchen appliances and luxury bathrooms.

As Mo says: “There are so many opportunities to get involved and make new friends. Life is so much easier since we moved. We have fewer worries. We can relax, knowing that everything is taken care of.”

But as for slowing down, Mo says: “I won’t be stopping anytime soon.”