Woman, 91, breaks record after completing marathon
If you've ever thought that you are not cut out to run and complete a marathon, think again.
A 91-year-old woman ran a San Diego marathon during the weekend becoming the second oldest person ever to finish the race. In fact Harriette Thompson even beat the national record time for her age group, 90 and up, by more than two hours.
What's even more amazing is that she's a cancer survivor - skipping out on last year's race due to her treatment for oral cancer.
And this year, she said her training was hindered because she was in treatment for skin cancer.
She ran the 42km Rock'n'Roll San Diego marathon in 7h, 7 min and 42 seconds, according to the race organiser.
While she said she was elated, Thompson lamented: "I'm pretty active but I didn't really train for this one because I was treating for skin cancer."
Thompson had radiation treatment for skin cancer on her legs in April, which left her with sores that hindered her training.
She ran her first marathon when she was 75 to run for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and has since raised $90,000 so far.
Despite her achievement, Thompson has no plans to stop.
"I'll be back next year if I'm still here at all," she said. "But I'm definitely going to train next year. This is the only time I ever attempted to do the race without training, and I sure am feeling it today."
Time to look for those running shoes.
Sources: Reuters, USA Today, NPR, KMBZ.com
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