You know that dream, the one where you’re running and racing into your twilight years? Mike Fremont offers proof of its possibility. The 91-year-old Cincinnati resident finished the Knoxville Half Marathon this weekend in 3:03:56.



Runner’s World chief running officer Bart Yasso summed up his feat best via Twitter: “Wow, this dude is the real deal...Amazing.”

"The hills were horrendous," Fremont says, but added that he felt fine throughout the race. "I can't run fast enough anymore to get tired."



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.”



Fremont began running in his late 30s to relieve the stress of being a single father of three young children. A cancer diagnosis at age 69 compelled him to stop eating meat and dairy. He believes the change helped shrink his tumor and, along with surgery, killed it off completely.

These days, Fremont logs about 35 miles a week, mostly on trails, and cross trains with push-ups and canoeing. The records are fun, but he runs for health and companionship, not securing a place in running history. Besides, he told Running Times, “it’s just a matter of time before someone like John Keston or Ed Whitlock beats these primitive times of mine.”



michelle hamilton wordpress import

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io