At 40, Khalid Khannouchi Making A Comeback

He knows it’s his last shot.

Khalid Khannouchi, the former world-record holder in the marathon, is now 40 years old. A series of injuries derailed his career over the past few years, but that’s not stopping him from trying to make a comeback. He hasn’t competed since the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Central Park four years ago and is now only logging 40 miles a week–a far cry from what he ran in his prime.

The Morrocan-born U.S. citizen would like to compete in a marathon next year, but is still undecided on that race. He knows this is his last shot at greatness.

“It might seem frustrating,” he said. “But for me, it’s a thousand times more than that. It’s very depressing.”

Last summer, he thought he was on the road to recovery, but at the Beach to Beacon 10K in August, Khannouchi experienced what he calls “the pain”, which were burning sensations in both of his feet. In December, he underwent  a metatarsal osteotomy, which is a procedure where a surgeon realigns bones in the foot.

For More: The Wall Street Journal