103-year-old man becomes the oldest to ever run in popular race: ‘Because I can’

CINCINNATI (WXIX/Gray News) - A 103-year-old was the first person to cross the finish line for the 50 West Mile, the first event of the Flying Pig Marathon.

Mike Fremont has been running in the event since it started.

On Thursday, he said he has run 16 full marathons for the Flying Pig. In the last few years, he has taken to running shorter races.

This year, Fremont ran a 1-mile race.

At 103 years old, he’s the first person that age to participate.

“Do you know any other 103-year-olds that can?” he asked a reporter during an interview.

Fremont was joined by his friend, ultramarathon runner Harvey Lewis, and his wife, Marilyn Wall.

“He doesn’t have a stop button,” Wall said.

She also said the two of them had been out canoeing just the day before.

During the marathon, Fremont crossed the line in a little over 20 minutes, which blew Lewis’ expectations out of the water.

“He inspires me and really tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people across the globe,” Lewis said.

Fremont had a film crew from South Korea there to film his run. They were working on a special about amazing human feats.

Fremont said he wants others to take care of themselves and their bodies.

He is vegan and said he believes everyone should be careful about what they eat and make sure they get enough exercise.

“This is the way to live,” he said. “Life is beautiful.”

Fremont is a world record holder. He holds the record for marathon times for the 80 and 90-year-old categories. He also has the fastest half marathon times for a 90 and 91-year-old.