This past weekend, 100-year old Fauja Singh completed the Toronto Marathon and ran into the record books in the process. Singh, who didn’t take up running until he was 89, is the oldest person to officially complete a marathon, which is 26.2 mile (42.1 km) in length.
Singh wasn’t exactly setting any speed records, but then again, that’s not what this story is all about. It took him about 8 hours, 25 minutes to cover the course, which brought him in dead last, but accomplished his goal of finishing in under nine hours. Event organizers were picking up barricades and banners even as he approached the finish line.
This was Singh’s 8th marathon and he doesn’t seem ready to quit yet. He hopes to be a part of the Olympic torch relay for the 2012 London Games next year as well.
Pretty inspiring stuff. I hope I’m still running when I hit a century old. Fauja shoots a lot of holes in the excuse that “I’m too old” to start running/exercising. You’re never too old to get outside and hit the road.
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Not only did a 100 year old finish but an eighty year old man, Ed Whitlock, ran a world record for his age group. He completed the Toronto marathon in a respectable for any age time of 3:15:54. These guys should inspire us all to get up off the couch and get moving!!
Wow! That's a fantastic time at any age. Amazing!
We never know what there can be inside of each of us until we get out and try. Very inspring post!