The early morning of Nov. 22, 2025 was cold and rainy. As Paul Henry, an 81-year-old Chestnut Hill resident, puts it: “That’s nobody’s idea of a good time.” However, right around 7 a.m., as the Philadelphia Half Marathon began, the rain slowed down. And Henry took off running.

As an active member of the Chestnut Hill fitness center Balance Life, Henry chose to run for Balance’s nonprofit, B Inspired Philadelphia — an organization that provides arts, literacy, fitness, and wellness programs for kids. Completing his first ever half-marathon in his 80s is impressive enough, but Henry’s commitment to running for a worthy cause only adds to the feat.

Finding a home

Henry is originally from Boston, but spent most of his adult life in New Jersey after attending graduate school at Princeton University. He met his wife Mary and began work at Bell Labs, an industrial research and development company. He remained there until his retirement 50 years later.

At Bell Labs, Henry worked in a research laboratory developing a little–known product called cellular radio.

“We thought it would become a high–end product for important businesspeople,” Henry said. “Little did we know, everybody would live by a cellphone.”

In 2020, Henry moved to Chestnut Hill after a recommendation from his daughter, who lives in East Falls. He said the neighborhood had several important criteria, including being a walkable community with a personable feel.

Shortly after moving, Henry began looking for a place to exercise and happened upon Balance. He quickly realized he had found a home.

“On TV, when you see an ad for a gym, they typically show a lot of people on a bunch of Peloton bikes sweating and the instructor saying, ‘Go, go, go,’” Henry said. “It just doesn’t look friendly to me. At Balance, they have some one–on–ones, they have some classes, but they are always much more like a family. Even the class instructor knows us by name.”

Henry now goes to Balance three times a week, and works out two additional days at home.

Tremendous fun

Henry’s propensity for exercise has not been lifelong. According to him, he ran track in high school but then “stayed sedentary” until about the age of 45, at which point he took up sprinting. However, this style of running didn’t appeal to him.

“When I was running sprints and short distances … it was never much fun,” Henry explained. “It was always a focus on winning.”

Henry began hearing talk of the Philadelphia Marathon weekend and the Broad Street Run while at Balance. The enthusiasm in their voices intrigued Henry and he decided to give it a shot.

First, Henry ran an 8k (4.97 miles) with a group from Balance in 2024. Then, in May 2025, he ran the Broad Street Run (10 miles). Finally came the biggest challenge yet: the half-marathon (13.1 miles). Henry credits his fellow runners from Balance with keeping a healthy mindset.

“The idea was … not to win, but to run as a team,” Henry said. “That was the rule — nobody gets left behind.”

Running at a rate of approximately 12 minutes a mile, Henry said the sightseeing and the cheers and creative signs from spectators made it “tremendous fun.”

B Inspired

Henry was motivated to support B Inspired during the half–marathon because he has witnessed the need for such an organization to provide experiences that promote curiosity and healthy lifestyles. Henry’s wife Mary volunteers at the library at Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences in Chestnut Hill, where Henry has seen children thrive through enriching activities.

Henry also thinks about his own experiences at Balance, where the staff promotes consistency and wellness.

“If the volunteers at B Inspired Philadelphia are as engaging to those kids as those people are to me at the gym, then those kids are very lucky,” Henry said.

Never too late to start

Does Henry see a full marathon in his future? Probably not, according to the runner. Henry injured his knee shortly after moving to Philadelphia, and although the injury didn’t flare up during the half-marathon, he doesn’t want to push his luck.

However, staying active will remain a part of Henry’s lifestyle. Participating in activities such as Friends of the Wissahickon’s All Trails Challenge keeps him moving.

According to Henry, age is certainly a number — he isn’t able to do everything he could do at 20, for example. Nonetheless, he believes age shouldn’t prevent someone from trying something new.

“It’s never too late to start,” he said, “and once you start, the joys are indescribable.”

To learn more about B Inspired Philadelphia, visit binspiredphiladelphia.org.

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.