Say hello to 92 year old Mathea Allansmith, a retired Ophthalmologist and resident of Kauai. She became the oldest woman to complete a marathon when she crossed the Honolulu Marathon finish line in December, with a time of 11:19:49. Born May 31, 1930, she surpassed the previous record holder Harriette Thompson by several months.
Asked what it takes for her to complete a marathon, Mathea replied “A marathon is a spiritual experience for me. I have to train my body for sure but it’s all about getting my mind to enjoy and soak up the experience while it’s happening.”
There is a special medal for runners who finish all six of the marathon majors (Boston, Chicago, London, New York, Berlin and Tokyo). It took her 12 years: she ran London first, in 1983; New York in 1987; Berlin in 1988; Boston in 1996 and Tokyo in 2010. Her Chicago goal was delayed twice earlier due to the pandemic.
Mathea is among the growing group of super agers, people living well into old age while maintaining physical and mental abilities. “I don’t ever think about my age. It’s not helpful. Age is never an excuse or a benefit. It’s not genetics I was gifted with either. Health is mostly a choice and it’s a joy to be in good health; that means diet and exercise and I’m all in for that,” says Mathea.
While Mathea was making headlines, the guy who finished right after her also made history by becoming the first person not to brag about running a marathon.