Vegan 91 year old sets half-marathon records for age group

[LeftyMom]

http://m.runnersworld.com/races/mike-fremont-91-finishes-knoxville-half-marathon-304?page=single

Fremont’s time is believed to be a single-age world record, but it falls a few minutes shy of his pending American record at the distance for the 90 to 94 age-group. He ran 2:56:26 for the half-marathon at age 90.

Fremont also holds the American and world records for the marathon in the same age group for his 6:35:47 finish at the Huntington Marathon last November (ratification pending).

Fremont, who looks like a spry 60-year-old, attributes his longevity to a vegan diet. “Training is important,” he told Running Times’ Mike Tymn, “but when you get to be my age, you’re not going to able to train at all unless your body holds up. I simply cannot overemphasize the importance of the plant-based diet to my performance.”

[MADem]

1. Well, that's great!

But really...how stiff is the competition? Does this guy line up next to a couple of hundred ninety something year olds, raring to go? Showing up to run is probably a quarter of the battle, finishing the race is half!

That said, good on him, no matter what he eats and how many runners he competes against. It's nice to see old people enjoying every single minute--gives those of us aware of the march of time some hope.

[LeftyMom]

3. Probably more than you'd think. My grandfather was running competitively into his late 80s,

and that was a few decades ago.

[MADem]

4. That's pretty impressive!

The women last longer than the men in my family. Some of the women push 100. The men are lucky if they hit their seventies--eighties would be a gift.

[LeftyMom]

5. Yeah, my dad's side are really long-lived. My mom's not-so-much.

Both of my paternal grandparents were healthy and active in their nineties.

[shenmue]

2. Wow!

Good for him.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. I'm pretty sure he isn't getting enough protein in her diet and it is going to cause him long term

health problems.


Or some other bullshit.