Hiromu Inada is living proof that age is no barrier – he has proved it time and again.
The 92-year-old Japanese Age Group triathlete holds a Guinness World Record for being the oldest person ever to cross the finish line at the brutal IRONMAN World Championship in Kona. For those who are not triathlon experts – that is a total of 140.6miles in incredible heat – a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and the small matter of a marathon run to finish (26.2 miles).
Almost seven years on from that incredible feat of endurance, Hiromu is still travelling and still racing, with his latest big test being IRONMAN 70.3 Cairns in Australia last weekend.
This time Hiromu – who hails from the Chiba Prefecture – ‘only’ had 70.3 miles to cover – with the swim, bike and run half the distance of that unbelievable test in Hawaii. But once again that distance, and the elements, could not beat this incredible man.
Hiromu Inada’s day in Cairns
Inada began his day by covering the 1.2-mile swim in 1:14:58, and he followed that by completing the 56-mile bike course in 4:53:01. Then came the half-marathon to finish, which Hiromu safely negotiated in 3:46:51.
That finishing time of 10:11:23 was not quite good enough for the 92-year-old to be classified as an official finisher, but he was able to complete his epic journey thanks to the finish line being kept open for 70.3 and full IRONMAN distance athletes on Sunday.
This inspiration to us all apparently only took up triathlon, and sport, at the age of 60 in a bid to lose weight and get fit.
Speaking about his athletic exploits late last year, he told Asahi: “I still make discoveries every day at this age. I shout at times when happy. Doing what you really want to do will make your life delightful even after you retire and get much older.”
Hiromu, we salute you, and amen!
