Worldharriette thompson, 92 year old runner, rock 'n' roll marathon, San Diego Marathon, Harriette Thompson new marathon record, San Diego, oldest woman san diego marathon, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Team In Training, Brenny Thompson
Jun 01, 2015 06:10 AM EDT
Harriette Thompson is a 92-year-old grandmother from Charlotte, North Carolina that has just become a record holder as the oldest woman to complete the San Diego marathon in Sunday.
Thompson set a new record as the oldest woman to finish the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon within seven hours, 24 minutes, and 36 seconds. Harriette, 92 years and 65 days old, was accompanied by her son, Brenny Thompson, who ran with her while proudly documenting her mother's journey.
But aside from her recent milestone, Thompson has previously proved her fighting spirit as she managed to beat cancer twice already.
Even her training for the marathon became especially hard as Harriette also lost her husband while dealing with a staph infection in her legs, revealed Dan Cruz, the marathon spokesperson.
In an interview, the now famous Charlotte native admits that the course was not easy, given her age and condition.
"I was really tired at one point. Around Mile 21, I was going up a hill and it was like a mountain and I was thinking, 'This is sort of crazy at my age.' But then I felt better coming down the hill. And my son Brenny kept feeding me all this wonderful carbohydrates that kept me going," Harriette gladly revealed.
Brenny also shared that he was worried for his mother at one point in the marathon. But Harriette's 56-year-old son was also determined to see his mother pass the finish line so he continued to support her until they reached their goal.
Harriette Thompson was welcomed by confetti cannons and was swarmed by reporters as she crossed the finish line. When asked about her reaction over her recent achievement, she humbly said that she don't see herself as "unusual."
"I have a lot of people saying what an inspiration I am. That's nice to hear, good for something at this age."
This is her 16th time to join the marathon on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Team In Training. Harriette was able to add $100,000 to her fundraising after finishing the recent event.
Harriette Thompson has shown an impressive spirit, finishing the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego despite the rocky year that she has been through with her different illness and the death of her husband.