The oldest woman to complete the New York City Marathon on Sunday died just a day later, Fox News reported.
It wasn't the exertion of the event that killed Joy Johnson, 86, her sister Faith, 83, said, but a fall she suffered near the 20th mile marker. After hitting her head, doctors and race personnel wanted to bring her to the hospital, but Johnson insisted on finishing the race.
The day after the marathon she told her sister she was tired and wanted to lie down in their hotel room at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, according to Fox. She never woke up.
Johnson finished last weekend's race in 7 hours 57 minutes. It was her 25th career marathon and her third straight in NYC. Her best time ever was around five hours, according to Fox. She'd been the oldest competitor at NYC for the last three years.
Johnson mixed running and walking for an 18 minute/mile pace.
"I'll be at the back of the pack, but I don't mind," she said. "I just praise the Lord I can get out of bed each morning and run. A lot of people my age are in wheelchairs."
More than 2,600 people over the age of 60 entered the NYC Marathon this year, Fox reported. Overall, over 50,000 ran Sunday -- several thousand more than the projected mark of 48,000. Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai won the men's race in 2:08:24. Priscah Jeptoo won the women's race in 2:25:07, according to letsrun.com.
"There is very definitely both an increase in terms of those who want to participate and get fit and those who want to compete," said Don Lein, a record keeper for USA Track and Field.
In 2011, 100 year-old Fauja Singh of England ran the Tokyo Marathon, becoming the oldest competitor to ever finish a 26.2 mile race, according to Fox. The centenarian ran an 8:25 and holds the record for 90-year-olds and above at 5:40.
If 82-year-old Canadian Ed Whitlock stays within two hours of his current pace, he'll beat Sing's record. Whitock ran a 3:41 two weeks ago at the Toronto Marathon, but said a cold a may have cost him time. (He ran a 3:30 last year.) He was the first 70-year-old ever to break three hours in 2003, according to Runner's World.
