Ed Whitlock, 85, Runs Sub-4:00 Marathon in Toronto
The Canadian legend crushed the men’s 85-89 world record by more than 30 minutes at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Sunday.
Marathon legend Ed Whitlock, an 85-year-old Canadian who has been re-writing age-group record books for decades, did it again at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Sunday, posting a time of 3 hours, 56 minutes, 33 seconds. Whitlock, who lives in Milton, Ontario, owns a stunning number of records at distances ranging from the mile to the marathon.
According to Canadian Running magazine, Whitlock broke the men’s 85-89 world record (4:34:55) set in 2004 by more than 30 minutes, and he did it while wearing a 30-year-old racing singlet and 15-year-old pair of Brooks shoes.
According to some age-graded conversions charts, Whitlock’s recent run would equate to a 2:08 marathon effort for a runner in his prime marathon years. Of course, it’s not easy to know how to compare Whitlock’s accomplishments to other age group performers as very few of them are anywhere close to matching his feats—a statement that’s equally true for comparisons to thousands of runners who are several decades younger.
RELATED: Ed Whitlock, 85, Runs World-Record Mile Time
FREE SUBSCRIPTION: Sign Up for Competitor’s Free Monthly Digital Magazine