News

30-09-2021
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Best of the best age group runners ready to race through London

The standard of age group running globally will make for an extremely competitive race across all ages on Sunday, and we are looking forward to seeing who makes the podium.

Tim Hadzima

Executive Director for the Abbott World Marathon Majors

Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the TCS London Marathon, said: “We are delighted to welcome the world’s best age group runners to London. The inaugural Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group World Championships is another great addition to this year’s event. I know the speed of these runners is going to truly show that age is no barrier and will be an inspiration to us all.”

Some notable age group runners taking part

  • A 1984 Los Angeles Olympic marathoner. Yuko came 34th representing Hong Kong where she lived for many years. She won her age group in the 2018/2019 qualifying series with strong performances in Berlin and Stockholm. A Japanese native, she moved to the UK in 1998 and, after a 15-year break, began Masters running in England and in no time at all got back to her competitive ways.

  • Jeannie qualified in the 2018/2019 qualifying series through top times at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon (3:27:50) and the TCS New York City Marathon (3:40:33). Jeannie is from South Korea and came to the US back in 1968. She started running at the age of 35 for weight loss and got hooked. She only has Tokyo to run to complete her Six Star journey and runs an average of 50 to 60 miles every week.

  • Eileen (pictured above in main image) hails from South East London and has run the Virgin Money London Marathon 19 times, including last year’s virtual event. Her personal best was back in 1992 with a time of 4:40. She started running a mile a day when she was 53 and it grew from there. She has been the oldest runner in the Virgin Money London Marathon for the last two years and will be the oldest female out on the course this year at the age of 86. Eileen has five marathon age group awards (four from London and one from Lochaber). She is looking to add a world championship title to her accolades.

  • Jose is from Portugal and will be running his first Abbott World Marathon Major when he competes in London in the inaugural Age Group World Championships. He has run 23 marathons and is an active member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors Global Run Club. He came twelfth in his age group category during the 2018/2019 qualifying series. Jose said: “For me it is a huge honour to compete and represent Portugal in the Championships and I am striving to be one of the best athletes in the world in my age group. I also want to complete the six major marathons and London will be the first on my journey.

  • Volker is a German-American qualifier, based in Illinois, who will abe added to the Six Star Finisher Hall of Fame when he crosses the Finish Line on Sunday. He started his running career at the age of 45 and has since concluded 13 marathons, with a personal best of 2:53:27 at the New York Marathon in 2019. Together with the Tokyo Marathon finished in the same year, Volker achieved enough points to qualify for the inaugural Age Group World Championships.