By IANS
New York : New Delhi’s 75-year-old Ashis Roy completed a record 80 marathons when he ran the US Air Force marathon at Dayton, Ohio.
The race, organised Saturday as part of US Air Force’s 60th anniversary celebrations, included plenty of festivities. All finishers of marathon were presented with Collector Medallion featuring the C-5 Galaxy aircraft.
The route had many hills, including nearly mile-long steep climbs at the start and finish, making it a tough race.
Running in moderate weather with temperatures ranging between 10 and 25 degrees Celsius, Roy was cheered all along the route by volunteers, policemen and spectators, many car drivers honking horns to greet him.
As he finished the race, beating men less than half his age, the public address system announced his records – Highest number of marathons by a South Asian of any age; Highest number of marathons by an Asian above 50; Highest number of marathons (49) in 20 foreign countries by an Indian; Record holder for above 55 in 1987; The oldest active international sportsman of India at the age of 75 years.
Roy started running marathons after the age of 50 and osteo-arthritis in the right knee for the past two yeas has not diminished his enthusiasm for the most strenuous race.