A 91-year-old Charlotte woman has set a new U.S. record at the Suja Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon in California.
Harriette Thompson now holds the marathon record for runners 90 and older, after finishing the 26.2-mile race in 7 hours and 7 minutes on Sunday,
Fox News reports.
The race was Thompson's 15th marathon. But she said the race, which she ran alongside her son, was harder than most because of one huge obstacle: She is currently undergoing radiation treatments for skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma).
"I would say I didn't train; it was unfortunate because I had had all this radiation done to my legs, and I could barely stand to walk around, it was so painful," Thompson said. "The last couple weeks, I was able to go to the [YMCA] and do some elliptical, maybe an hour a day, and I ran a 5K just a week before the marathon, but I didn't have much training. That’s why I was wary about whether I could do it."
But one day after the race, Thompson reported feeling "great, " despite the tough, hilly course.
Throughout her 15 years of racing, Thompson has raised more than $90,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.