She took up running after her 100th birthday at the encouragement of her children, and went on to set two world records in the 100-meter dash.
An older woman in a red “USA Track & Field” shirt with a race bib pinned to it runs on a track. She has a red flower tucked behind her right ear.
Julia Hawkins competing in the 50-meter dash at the National Senior Games in Albuquerque in 2019.Credit…Brit Huckabay/National Senior Games Association, via Associated Pres
Julia Hawkins, who took up running after her 100th birthday and went on to set world records in the 100-meter dash, inspiring legions of older athletes, died on Tuesday in Baton Rouge, La. She was 108.
Her death, in an assisted living center, was confirmed by her daughter Margaret Matens, who said that her mother had arranged to donate her body to the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University, which is studying longevity.
Ms. Hawkins was a force on the track, with her trademark flower tucked behind her ear and her arms driving behind her as she shuffled up her lane. She drew loud cheers from fans, who nicknamed her “Hurricane,” and frequent autograph requests.
Beloved by senior runners for her quick legs and her even quicker wit, Ms. Hawkins credited her children with introducing her to running. Her sons signed her up for her first track-and-field event, a 50-meter dash, in 2016, Ms. Hawkins said in an interview for this obituary in 2022.
Even though she had never competed on a track, Ms. Hawkins said that her children wanted to see how fast she could sprint
She ran 50 meters in a speedy 19 seconds at the Louisiana Senior Olympic Games, winning first place in her age group by default, as she was the only competitor over 100.
In fact, she is believed to be the oldest woman ever to compete in a sanctioned track event in the United States, according to the National Senior Games Association, which administers sports competitions for people over 50.
“I thought it would be neat to do it at 100,” she said, “and it was neat.”
After a century of living, her competitive running career had just begun. She competed in races across the country, setting world records in the 100-meter dash in the women-over-100 category, running it in 39.62 seconds in Birmingham, Ala., in 2017, and in the over-105 age group with a 1-minute-2.95-second finish in Hammond, Ind., in
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