Posts Tagged ‘akron’

Meet Ken Thompson, and prepare to feel like a lazy bum…

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Ken Thompson’s athletic CV will make you feel like a cumbersome sack of your preferred… just check out his stats:

  • Has run a marathon in all 50 states
  • Has run a marathon in 20 world capitals
  • Has run marathons on all seven continents
  • Also, competed in an Iditarod
  • Also, one time ran 157 miles across Death Valley in the summertime.

I know I’m a lazy waste compared to this guy, who happens to be 72-years old and planning to run the Road Runners Marathon this weekend in Akron, OH.

Thompson is a member of the Oatmeal Millers, a marathon team where the average age is 73. On Saturday, they’ll compete in a five-person team relay marathon – after Thompson passes the baton, he plans to continue on and finish the full 26 miles.

“If you have five 20-somethings, that’s almost 100 years between them,” Thompson said. “With us, it’s over 365 years. We hope to finish in the top half of the relay teams and beat some of these younger guys.”

Forgot to mention his self-proclaimed “shortest run” ever – against the bulls in Pamplona. (This guy is a sicko. What a legend.)

Competing at an average age of 73, Oatmeal Milers still going strong (Cleveland.com)