ATHENS, (Reuters) – At 88, Greek runner Ploutarchos Pourliakas has proved yet again that age is just a number and poses no barrier to determination after he completed the 41st edition of the Athens Marathon on Sunday, his 12th marathon.
The race, also called The Authentic, is organised annually on what is believed to be the same ground that the Athenian messenger Phiedippides ran to bring the news of victory from the battlefield of Marathon 2,500 years ago.
Recognised as the original marathon course, the same route was used in the 2004 Olympics held in Athens.
“I achieved to finish and even improved on last year,” Pourliakas said moments after crossing the finishing line at the historic Panathenaic Stadium of Athens, as his family and grandchildren cheered and congratulated 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.
This marks his 12th time completing the iconic 42.195 kilometre (26.22 miles) race from the Tomb of Marathon to the Panathenaic Stadium.
Inspired by his son, an ultramarathon runner, he took up running in his hometown of Kastoria, in northern Greece, at the age of 73.
Many struggle to believe his age when they see him run, Pourliakas said, but he directly confronts their disbelief. “Why wouldn’t you believe it? We all can do it. As long as we want to.”
In his training routine, the 88-year-old runs from four to five kilometres daily and up to 20 kilometres 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, everything but in moderation. However, I do have a little ‘tsipouro’ (local drink) every day not as a drink, but as a medicine,” he said.