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Honolulu Marathon: 92-Year-Old Gladys Burrill Finishes Race
From the Honolulu MarathonDecember 22, 2010
Honolulu, HI
Gladys "Glady" Burrill, a 92-year-old great-grandmother, finished (9:53:16) the Honolulu Marathon on Sunday, December 12 in Hawaii. She might be the oldest female to ever finish a marathon.
The current listing in the Guinness Book of World Records shows Jenny Wood-Allen, age 90, from Dundee, Scotland, as the oldest woman to finish a marathon, the 2002 London Marathon in Great Britain.
Documents will be filed to confirm that Burrill is indeed the oldest. Marc Roy of Sportstats, the Canadian company which times the Honolulu Marathon, confirmed that Burrill touched every electronic timing pad on the course en route to her finish. Photos were taken of Burrill at various points on the course by ASI Photo, and photos of her were shot at the finish by marathon chief photographer Ronen Zilberman.
Burrill was born on November 23, 1918 in La Center, Washington. She is a resident of Prospect, Oregon, but owns a condo in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, where she now spends much of her year.
A former multi-engine pilot, mountain climber, desert hiker and snowshoer, Burrill began marathoning in Honolulu at age 86. She successfully fast-walked her first four Honolulu Marathons to completion but failed at ages 90 and 91 to finish.
In 2008, her husband of 69 years, lumber executive Eugene F. Burrill, died a few days before her race. She went ahead with her attempt in his honor but her emotions weighed her down and she fell ill at mile 25.
In 2009, she said she consumed something in the morning that made her ill, and she dropped out at mile 16.
Many thought Burrill would never do another marathon but she was determined to fool them. She walked about 2,600 miles in training in the year leading up to the 38th Honolulu Marathon on December 12. In April she actually walked 26.2 miles on two occasions with a training partner.
Ryan Lamppa, media director of Running USA, which keeps road racing stats, said he is sure Burrill will be declared the oldest female marathon finisher in history. Sources from other running organizations have expressed the same confidence.
Dr. Jim Barahal, president of the Honolulu Marathon, greeted Burrill with a lei as she crosssed the finish line.
A poignant scene occurred before Burrill finished her feat.
Six-time Honolulu Marathon champion and race hall of famer Jimmy Muindi of Kenya happened to still be in Kapiolani Park, after finishing fifth in the men's pro race and participating in the awards ceremony. When he found out Burrill was close to the finish line, he rushed out to meet her on the course. She had less than 200 yards to go. Seeing that she was struggling to finish, Muindi offered her words of encouragement, and told her to trust in God. Burrill called the gesture "so precious," and said that it energized her.
She and Muindi have been friends since she began walking the Honolulu Marathon in 2004. As has been their tradition, Burrill invited him to breakfast with her family the morning after the marathon.