89-year-old Paul Freedman stands next to his medals and photos.
According to a report by the UK's Daily Mail on April 7, Paul Freedman, the oldest participant in the 2014 London Marathon, is already 89 years old, but he vows to keep running for another two years until his 16-year-old grandson is ready to take over.
Freedman, a former retailer, started running marathons at the age of 61 and has since completed 170 races. This weekend will mark his 22nd time running the London Marathon. Over the years, he has raised £100,000 (approximately 1.03 million RMB) for charity and was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2008.
Freedman’s 16-year-old grandson, Samuel, has asked his grandfather to keep running marathons until he turns 18 and is allowed to participate himself.
Freedman said: “I started running at 61. Although I worked in copywriting, I’ve always been an active person. Samuel asked me to keep going until he’s 18, but I’m not sure if I can last that long. I’m not as physically strong as I used to be, but I still have determination. My breathing isn’t as good as before, and my mouth gets dry. But I stick to training every week, and this year I’m determined to finish the course within 8 hours so I can earn another medal. Even though two years is a long time, I’ll do everything I can to make sure I can run with my grandson.”
One room in Freedman’s home is decorated with medals and memorabilia from various races he has participated in. This year, he hopes to raise £6,000 (approximately 61,881 RMB) for charity. It is reported that the oldest person ever to run the London Marathon was Fauja Singh, who completed the race in 6 hours and 7 minutes at the age of 93 in 2004.