“At 88 years old, Greek runner Ploutarchos Pourliakas has once again shown that age is no obstacle to determination. On Sunday, he completed the 41st Athens Marathon, a testament to his perseverance and passion. Athens Marathon is held annually on what is believed to be the historic route that Athenian messenger Pheidippides ran 2,500 years ago to announce victory in the Battle of Marathon. This same course was famously used during the 2004 Athens Olympics.
“I finished and even improved on last year,” Pourliakas said after crossing the finish line at Athens’ iconic Panathenaic Stadium, where his family and grandchildren greeted him with cheers and congratulations. This year, he completed the 42.195km (26.22 miles) race in six hours and 31 minutes—18 minutes faster than his previous time. “I feel younger than my 88 years,” he added, celebrating his accomplishment. This marks the 12th time he has conquered the historic marathon route, which starts at the Tomb of Marathon and ends at the Panathenaic Stadium.
Pourliakas began running at the age of 73, inspired by his ultramarathoner son, in his hometown of Kastoria in northern Greece. He shared that many people struggle to believe his age when they see him run. “Why not? We can all do it, as long as we want to,” he said, addressing their skepticism.
His daily training regimen includes running 4 to 5 kilometers, with distances extending up to 20 kilometers on weekends. Pourliakas credits his active lifestyle to a disciplined routine: “I’ve never smoked, I avoid excesses, I don’t drink heavily, and I don’t stay up late,” he said. His diet is balanced and moderate, though he enjoys a small glass of tsipouro, a local Greek spirit, daily—“not as a drink, but as medicine,” he quipped.
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