92-year-old seeks to become oldest woman to finish marathon
In this June 1, 2014 photo, Harriette Thompson, then 91, starts the 2014 Suja Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego, which she completed. (Paul Nestor/Competitor Group via AP)
SAN DIEGO » A 92-year-old cancer survivor is seeking to become the oldest woman to finish a marathon.
Harriette Thompson of Charlotte, North Carolina, is set to compete in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego on Sunday.
It will be her 16th time running it, and last year she set a record when she finished the race in 7 hours, 7 minutes and 42 seconds, beating the previous record for a woman 90 or older by more than an hour and a half.
Thompson is a two-time cancer survivor who dealt with the loss of her husband and a staph infection in her legs while training for this year’s race.
The former concert pianist says she mentally plays old piano pieces she had performed to help her get through the 26.2 miles.
