Running News Daily

90-year-old woman sets U.S. half-marathon age-group record

Just months after blazing to a new world age-group standard in the 1,500m, 90-year-old Dot Sowerby has broken the U.S. half-marathon age-group record, underscoring her message that age isn’t an obstacle to breaking down barriers.

The grandmother and longtime runner from Greensboro, N.C., completed the 2023 Life Time Chicago Half Marathon in 3:33:47, breaking the former 3:46:56 record set by Harriette Thompson six years ago at the Rock N’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon at age 94. (That effort by Thompson months before her death in 2017 still makes her the oldest woman on record to have completed a half-marathon, a record previously set by Canada’s Gladys Burrill in 2012 at age 93.)

Sowerby, who took up running in her late forties, told ABC News Chicago after her record-breaking half-marathon on Sept. 24 that she hopes her latest feat inspires others to chase their dreams, regardless of their age.

“I think older people can do anything, and I just like to keep active, and you’re never too old to get out there and run,” Sowerby said.

Sowerby has been reinforcing this message through her actions as well as her words this year, both in road races and on the track. In July, she thrilled a hometown crowd at the USATF Masters Outdoor Championships in Greensboro by running the 1,500m in 11:30.62, taking more than a minute off the record held by North Vancouver’s Lenore Montgomery, who covered the distance in 12:34.67 at a track meet in Surrey, B.C., in Sept. 2020.

The championships saw Sowerby rack up an impressive collection of medals, including gold in the 400m (2:35.33), 800m (5:52.93), long jump (1.05m) and shot put (4.51m), and silver in the 100m.

Her success at this year’s USATF championships came just one week after she collected six gold medals at the 2023 National Senior Games in Pittsburgh.

“I have a philosophy that you are never too old to do something like running or whatever you want to do,” Sowerby told Greensboro’s News & Record heading into the USATF Masters Outdoor Championships.  “When I came along, they would not let girls in high school and college run because they thought they were too fragile or something. So, I did my first race when I was 50 years old.”

According to the Chicago Half Marathon and 5K website, Sowerby trains almost every day, varying her workouts from running to swimming to exercise classes. She typically begins training at 6 a.m. “One of my motivations is to inspire others to keep exercising, no matter your age or circumstance—just get out there and do something,” she said.