Running News Daily

At an age when most runners are simply hoping to stay active, France’s Mohammed El Yamani delivered one of the most remarkable performances in masters marathon history. 

Competing on February 22, 2026, at the Zurich Sevilla Marathon in Seville, Spain, the 61-year-old clocked 2:28:28, shattering the men’s 60–64 age-group world record. The previous mark of 2:30:02 was set in 2020 by Irish Olympian Tommy Hughes.

El Yamani’s run did not just slip under the old record—it took a full 1 minute and 34 secondsoff a time many believed would stand for years. In a field filled with elite international runners, he finished 145th overall, an extraordinary placement considering both his age and the circumstances leading into the race.

What makes the performance even more remarkable is the road he took to reach the starting line.

According to El Yamani, the race marked his first marathon in three years. During that time he battled a series of serious setbacks, including gluteal tendonitis, two vertebral fractures, and significant back problems that kept him away from running for nearly two full years. 

Yet the dream never disappeared.

In a message he shared afterward, El Yamani reflected on the difficult journey back:

“Three years without a marathon, three years without a race number, two years without running due to injury. I doubted myself at times, I was depressed at times, but I never gave up on my dream. Some said I was old, others that I was finished, but I say I have the experience of years lived, the strength of my conviction in my dreams, and the drive and will to improve.”

Before the long injury break, El Yamani had run 2:31:21 at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon, showing strong form even then. But few could have predicted that his return would produce a world record.

The performance also highlights something the running community continues to witness: athletes are pushing the boundaries of what is possible at every age. Masters runners today are training smarter, recovering better, and in some cases producing times that would have been competitive in open races not long ago.

A 2:28 marathon at age 61 is not just impressive for a masters runner—it impressive for any runner.

And for Mohammed El Yamani, it stands as proof that persistence, patience, and belief can sometimes bring an athlete back even stronger than before.