88-year-old runner completes his 12th consecutive Athens Marathon

On Sunday at the historic Athens Marathon, 88-year-old Ploutarchos Pourliakas became the oldest finisher at this year’s race, crossing the line in six hours and 31 minutes—a full 20 minutes faster than his 2023 finish.

Defying both age and limits, Pourliakas completed his 12th Athens Marathon as part of the event’s 41st edition. Known as “The Authentic Marathon,” this race traces what is believed to be the original path taken by Athenian messenger Pheidippides, who ran to announce the Greek victory over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon, nearly 2,500 years ago.

Pourliakas reached the finish line at the Panathenaic Stadium, the venue of the first modern Olympics in 1896, surrounded by his family and grandchildren. “I achieved to finish and even improved on last year,” he told Reuters in an interview. “I feel younger than my 88 years.”

His philosophy for longevity in running is simple: moderation and consistency. “I’ve never smoked. I don’t drink, and I eat in a balanced way,” said Pourliakas. He revealed that he does enjoy a daily sip of tsipouro, a traditional Greek brandy, saying he considers it more as a health tonic than as a drink.

According to Reuters, Pourliakas began running at age 73, inspired by his son, who is an ultramarathoner. Now, Pourliakas follows a dedicated training regimen in his hometown of Kastoria, logging five kilometres on weekdays and 15 to 20 kilometres on weekends.

Pourliakas’s story echoes that of Canadian masters running legend Ed Whitlock, who also started running later in life. In 2000, Whitlock became the oldest person to complete a sub-three-hour marathon at age 69 and later set the men’s 85+ world record, with a time of 3:56:38, at the 2016 Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Like Whitlock, Pourliakas’s commitment and discipline inspire runners of all ages to keep pushing their limits.

“Why wouldn’t you believe it? We all can do it. As long as we want to,” Pourliakas said.

posted Tuesday November 12th
by Marley Dickinson