At 88 years old, Greek runner Ploutarchos Pourliakas proved once again that age is just a number and does not represent a barrier to determination, after completing the 41st edition of the Athens Marathon, in Greece, this Sunday (10). It was his 12th marathon.
The race, also called The Authentic, is organized annually on what is believed to be the same route that the Athenian messenger Phidippides ran to bring news of victory from the battlefield of Marathon 2,500 years ago.
Recognized as the original marathon route, the same route was used in the 2004 Olympics held in Athens.
“I managed to finish and I even improved compared to last year,” Pourliakas said moments after crossing the finish line at Athens’ historic Panathenaic Stadium, as his family applauded him.
This year, he completed the race in 6 hours and 31 minutes, 18 minutes faster than last year. “I feel younger than my 88 years,” he said, reflecting on his achievement.
It was his 12th time completing the iconic 42.195-kilometer (26.22-mile) run from the Marathon Tomb to the Panathenaic Stadium.
Inspired by his son, an ultramarathon runner, he began running in his hometown of Kastoria in northern Greece at age 73.
Many have trouble believing his age when they see him run, Pourliakas said, but he directly confronts their disbelief. “Why wouldn’t you? We can all do it. As long as we want to.”
In his training routine, the 88-year-old runs 4 to 5 kilometers daily and up to 20 kilometers on weekends.
“I’ve never smoked. I don’t indulge in excesses, I don’t drink, I don’t stay up late. I eat in a balanced way, of everything, but in moderation. However, I drink a little tsipouro [bebida local] every day, not as a drink, but as medicine,” he said.
