Sandra Holder always tells people that she's running with the spirit of Terry Fox and Muhammad Ali.

That spirit served her well on Sunday, when the 65-year-old long-distance runner with arthritic knees crossed the finish line of the 30-kilometre Around the Bay road race — in last place.

But this was no ordinary last place finish. Holder was met by the Burlington Teen Tour Band in full voice, and it marched across the finish line behind her as confetti rained down.

The finish line celebration was organized by Toronto's Stonemill Bake House, whose slogan is "you can't hurry slow."

I told them, 'I've never had a [did not finish] and I'm not starting today.' - Sandra Holder, runner

"It was my rock star finish," laughed Holder, who works at a Running Room in Markham, Ont. "It was truly awesome. Totally fantastic."

First place winner Panuel Mkungo finished the race with a time of 01:34:51.9. Holder came across the finish line with a time of 05:14:25, almost four hours later.

She calls it a challenging race — and she would know, considering she's done it 13 or 14 times in the past, she says. Her best race time was around three-and-a-half hours.

"My knees were talking to me at around 6K, which was pretty early," she said. She got several offers for a ride to the finish, from police, EMS, and race officials, but turned them all down.

"I told them, 'I've never had a [did not finish] and I'm not starting today. As long as they don't close the door on me,'" she said. "Every race I've started, I've finished."

Holder took up running at 47, after she had a "late in life baby," she says. Her daughter is now 20 (and had to tell her mom that she's now "Facebook famous" after a video of her crossing the finish line was viewed over 60,000 times).

Holder's grandmother died young, and she saw the effect that had on her mother. "So I started doing this to make sure I see my own daughter grow up," she said.

Runners line up to start the 30km Around the Bay road race Sunday. (Around the Bay road race/Instagram)

Race Director Anna Lewis said that though she finished last, Holder's time is no small feat.

"Finishing a 30K is an accomplishment no matter how long it takes you," she said. "Everyone has different goals and abilities."

Around the Bay is the oldest in North America, and is well known to be challenging — with its winding, hilly course, and necessary winter training regimen.

Generally the race has a limit of four hours and 30 minutes, but organizers stretched that time a little for Holder. Other runners may have come in behind her later on, Lewis said, but they would be listed as a DNF, or "did not finish."

That's because the course can't be kept open indefinitely, with considerations for police services, volunteers, and road closures in the city, she said.

Brett Channer, the founder of Mass Minority advertising (which organized the celebration), said it was "awesome" to see Holder's smile when she crossed the finish line.

"It's just a true celebration of her effort."

adam.carter@cbc.ca