Garth Barfoot has undergone no fewer than four hip-replacement surgeries, but the 87-year-old steadfastly refuses to stop doing marathons.
"The miracles of modern science have made me a celebrity in the orthopedic unit," he jokingly told Insider.
Barfoot is getting ready to take part in the New York City Marathon on Sunday. New York Road Runners, the organizers of the race, said he'd be the oldest person to compete this year.
The former real-estate agent said he'd like to finish the 26.2-mile course — which goes through all of the city's five boroughs — in under nine hours.
He said he completed his latest marathon, the London Marathon in October 2022, in eight hours and 20 minutes. "I don't think I'll beat that time in New York because my last hip operation was in January," he said.
The 87-year-old said he's done a lot of 'outdoor adventure' in his life
Barfoot, who lives in Auckland, New Zealand, said he took up "recreational running" in the 1960s with his wife, Judy. He said they started out doing so-called fun runs of about 5 kilometers.
The couple joined a running club and graduated from 10Ks to half-marathons and marathons, he said.
Next, he said, they moved into the triathlon.
Triathlons "came pretty naturally because I'd already done a lot of hiking and outdoor adventure in my life," Barfoot said.
He represented his country — and was the only man in his age group — at the 2022 World Triathlon Age-Group Championship Finals in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, but got disqualified. He said he exited the cycling leg of the competition too soon.
"I ended up getting confused about the number of laps we needed to do," he said. He argued with the officials and appealed, saying he had completed all laps — only to be told again that he was wrong.
"It might have had something to do with my age," he added, with self-deprecating humor.
He said he prefers marathons these days because they're mostly point-to-point. "I can't get lost so easily," he said.
The octogenarian, who hasn't competed in the New York City Marathon before, said he'd been training for the event for the "best part of the year."
Barfoot joked that most of his body was 'decrepit'
Barfoot said he walked a 10-kilometer circuit near his retirement village every day and was recently introduced to Pilates. "I was skeptical at first, but it really loosened me up," he said of his daily one-hour sessions.
He said he didn't follow a special diet, and he attributed much of his stamina to good genes. "My parents settled in New Zealand from England," he said. "I come from hearty stock."
Still, he described "most of" his body as "decrepit," adding that his balance was "off." But he said his knees, calves, and ankles "have always been strong."
While Barfoot acknowledged the risks he faces as an older athlete — he fell during a recent race while trying to pass another runner, for instance — he said he wanted to compete for as long as his health allows him.
"In the old days, I'd be bedridden by now," he said. "I have to thank the advances and improvements in medicine for what I can do today."
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