Ed Whitlock, who is one of the charter members of the Milton Walk of Fame – Class of 2007, accomplished yet another amazing feat by setting YET ANOTHER age class world record in Rotterdam. Three hours twenty five minutes to complete a marathon. And hes only 80 years of age! 🙂 Congratulations ED! Truly an example to others that you can accomplish anything at any age.
Here is the story from the Milton Canadian Champion.
Now 80, Whitlock breaks yet another age-class world record in Rotterdam
Ed Whitlock has spent decades racing his way into the international spotlight, yet has never felt entirely comfortable being the centre of attention.
Such is the paradox that defines Milton’s ageless wonder, who chases away praise with nearly as much gusto as he chases down world records.
Even a low-key reception at Ned Devine’s Wednesday evening — put on by the Milton Runners in recognition of his latest marathon milestone — leaves the just-turned 80-year-old runner embarrassed.
Appreciative, but embarrassed.
“I thought I gave implicit instructions not to get me anything (gift),” said Whitlock, having recently returned from Rotterdam (The Netherlands), where he set a new 80-and-over world marathon record with a time of 3:25.40 — shattering the old benchmark by Australian Robert Horman (in 1998) by close to 14 minutes.
Sitting down for an interview earlier in the night, the highly-accomplished racer — who might need less time to run his next marathon than to list out all of his world and national records — said he definitely gets an inner satisfaction from his ongoing success.
However, the notoerity and admiration that accompanies it can make him feel somewhat uneasy.
Asked if he doesn’t give himself enough credit for all he’s achieved in the world of distance running, the soft-spoken Englishman flashes a humble smile that’s nearly as distinctive as his flowing shock of white hair.
“I get embarrassed when people say they’re inspired by me. I have difficulty relating to that.”
Be that as it may, it’s awfully tough — especially for people like the Runners, who fittingly enough presented him with a new kettle and some tea — not to view Whitlock as a huge source of inspiration.
Having rediscovered a passion for running in his 40s — and known for his daily training loops through the ‘quiet and peaceful’ Evergreen Cemetery, just two blocks from his home — he holds a laundry list of records and remains the only 70-and-up runner to ever complete a marathon in under three hours.
He did so twice, and looks at that feat with more pride than his recent 80-and-over record.
“The association with the sub-three hour mark kind of makes it a bit more special,” explained Whitlock, who’s struggled with a knee injury in recent years, but was in close to optimum shape for his latest trip to Rotterdam, where despite a nagging cold he set a healthy pace early en route to decimating the previous 80-and-over record. “There’s no exact time attached to the 80-and-up class marathon, and it was a bit of a soft record.”
Don’t go mistaking that last remark as arrogance.
For all his racing exploits, Whitlock just doesn’t see himself as anything extraordinary, and often expresses disbelief that nobody else has joined him in the 70-and-up sub-three-hour marathon fraternity.
“It’s kind of like the four-minute mile. Once one person does it, others should think ‘Maybe I can do it too’,” said the world-class runner, who adheres to no special diet and has never taken on any of the technical training of today’s elite athletes. “I really am surprised that nobody else (70 or older) has run a marathon in under three hours.”
With his on-again, off-again knee problems, Whitlock’s experienced more than a few extended breaks from running in recent years.
But the idea of a permanent hiatus has simply never entered the picture.
“I have no intention of ever stopping running. I just enjoy it, and it really doesn’t feel any different than when I ran in my 40s, although the clock certainly shows something different.”
And while the days of chasing world records would be in most 80-year-olds’ rearview mirror, that’s far from the case for Whitlock.
After all, having just jumped to a new age group (80-84), there’s a whole slew of new times to topple.
“I’ll be doing the Toronto marathon again in the fall and there’s the master’s world championships in Sacremento (California) this summer where I’ll do the 5,000 and 10,000m,” said high-endurance octogenarian, who just two weeks after his 80th birthday last month broke the age class 3,000m record at the Canadian Masters Indoor Championships in Kamloops, B.C. “Plus there’s all the road records. Assuming my knee holds out, it’s going to be a busy year.”