101 Year-Old Man to Run London Marathon
For many competitive runners (myself included), spring is race time. We’ve been training since January, adding miles each week, and slowly building our stamina.
Buster Martin is just like us - he’s training to run the London Marathon on April 13th. Only Buster is 101 years old!
Buster finished The Roding Valley Half Marathon last weekend in 5 hours and 13 minutes. Not bad for someone born in 1907.
After finishing the half marathon, his first words were: “Where’s my beer?”
Buster seems to enjoy breaking records. He’s the UK’s oldest employee, he has 17 children, and his rock band, The Zimmers, (whose members total 3,000 years old) had a hit single just last year. Oh, and he also fought off three young muggers at a bus stop when he was 100…
“They obviously thought I would be an easy touch because I’m old. But they soon found out I’m still a good fighter,” he said. “I hit one in the groin and I kicked another one. The foot I used had been operated on a week before for an in-growing toenail. They must have done a good job on it because it worked bloody well.”
Buster’s boss at Pimlico Plumbers said, “Had he been a weaker character it might have finished him off, but Buster doesn’t back down from anything. That’s the kind of person he is.”
I love this guy - he’s unstoppable. Nothing phases him.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Buster is also an environmentalist. Check out this clip he made to promote recycling… “If you don’t recycle, you’ve got a screw loose.”
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March 5th, 2008 @ 10:10 pm
This ol boy’s wild woo!
March 6th, 2008 @ 5:58 pm
makes me want to kick back and have a smoke and a beer……
March 7th, 2008 @ 2:26 pm
dude that is awesome how a guy is 100 years old can still fight
thats awesome
March 7th, 2008 @ 2:27 pm
man he must be really healthy for him to live that long
April 13th, 2008 @ 12:52 pm
Buster is truly a role model - for stamina, stick-to-it-tiveness and heart - all needed to hit that road, track or treadmill. Saw this story on the Sunday AM news this morning and after my morning run of three miles am also blogging about that man!
I am half his age and will be following his example one day - maybe minus the beer and cigarrette chaser!
April 14th, 2008 @ 8:21 pm
Hey, yes but really! Wow this guy is a gem, you can bet on a movie soon, obviuosly. I am curious as to when he first started running, I am just 46 and used to do 10 miles a day in my twenties, no sweat. I tell you the truth I added extra time to my “work out” today. Rage, rage against the 3 boxes of life ie: school, work, retirement. Long live the better mindset
of the 4 acts of life, maybe 1-0-25 years, 2-25-50 years 3-50-75 years- 4 75-100 years. You bet your buster. I am trying to contact him myself. All proceeds should go to the cause of his choice.
Hang in there all you young folks!
Go Buster, I have not been inspired like this for years. Peace to you.
Tom Squires
Syracuse, NY