85-year-old sets world record with sub-four-hour marathon

Ed Whitlock shattered the marathon record for an 85-year-old.

Ed Whitlock is one of the most prolific distance-running record-holders in the world and added another notch to his belt on Sunday. 

Whitlock, at the age of 85, ran the Toronto marathon in a blistering three hours, 56 minutes and 33 seconds, breaking the record for 85- to 89-year-olds by almost 40 minutes. And he did it despite having not run a marathon in three years. 

As you’d expect, he was feeling the record-setting performance the next day. 

“After I finished and later in the day on Sunday I was okay, but I am not feeling too good today,” Ed told The Globe and Mail on Monday. “I am stiff, and not moving too well. I have so many aches and pains, I have kind of lost track where.”

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Whitlock also holds the 85- to 89-year-old record for the half marathon, 3,000m and 1,500m. At the age of 72, he became the oldest man to break three hours in the marathon, a record that still stands.