101-yr-old aims to run marathon
2008-03-05 16:20
London - Already Britain's oldest
employee, 101-year-old Buster Martin now aims to become the
world's oldest marathon runner by completing the London Marathon
and celebrating with a pint of beer and a cigarette.
Sprightly and bearded, he completed a half marathon at the
weekend in five hours 13 minutes. The former Army physical
training instructor works three days a week for a London
plumbing firm and says he has trained for the April 13th race in
his spare time.
He said: "I've said I'll attempt it. I haven't said I'll
complete it. If I do make it, all the better. I hadn't thought
of doing it before, but someone asked me and the money goes to
charity, so why not?"
His sponsorship money will go to the Rhys Daniels Trust,
which provides temporary accommodation for families of patients
in specialist children's hospitals.
Martin, who had 17 children and returned to work at the age
of 99 saying he was bored after two years of retirement, would
beat the previous record for world's oldest marathon runner by
eight years.
He said: "If I finish, I'll do what I always do and have a pint and a fag.
"People ask what is my secret but I haven't got
one. They say fags and booze are bad for you - but I'm still
here, aren't I?"