LondonMarathon-related stories
Oldest marathoner a fake?
There's no question Pierre Jean 'Buster' Martin completed the London Marathon in 10 hours last Sunday, but controversy is swirling whether he's the oldest marathoner on record at 101 years old. The record is currently held by Dimitrion Yordanidis, a Greek runner who completed a 1976 Athens marathon in a smokin' 7 hours, 33 minutes.
Guinness World Records is shunning Martin, they have evidence he's a youthful 94. Possibly an even more amazing feat than 26 miles, Martin is still working. An employee at Pimlico Plumbers, he's prominently displayed on their home page and raising fistfuls of money for the Rhys Daniels Trust, a charity supporting seriously ill children and their families.
There's speculation Pimlico is exploiting Martin -- Pimlico approached Guinness -- and enjoyed a strong corporate presence at the London Marathon and exposure from the hoopla surrounding Martin. Now the company is having trouble verifying Martin's age, but Pimlico claims their actions were on the up and up. Part of me doesn't even care -- hats off to a 94 or 101-year-old man who not only ran a marathon, he's raising big bucks for a worthy charity. Guinness or not, he's unforgettable in my book.
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101-year-old man plans to run marathon
Healthy Aging, Fitness, Motivation, Men's Health
Last summer, my four-year-old ran a 2K with her dad. It was a "fun run," so he assumed they'd be walking much of it. Instead, she ran the entire thing, then sprinted over the finish line. I've promised to run it with her this year, but she's so fast I may not be able to catch up!Just to prove that you're never too young or too old to get into the fitness game, I bring you the story of Mr. Buster Martin. Mr. Martin is 101-years-old, a father of 17, and became a plumber three years ago because he had nothing better to do. Oh, and he recently finished a half marathon and plans to run the London Marathon in April.
After each of my husband's marathons, he usually needs a long soak in the tub to ease his muscle pains and walks pretty slowly the next day. But Mr. Martin was back at work on Monday ready to polish the vans. Inspired yet?
