Japanese man, 95, breaks running record
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-06-21 09:19

A 95-year-old Japanese man who took up track only three decades ago has run the 100 meters in 22.04-seconds, a record for his age bracket, according to media reports.

Kozo Haraguchi looked sturdy and fit as he dashed Sunday at an outdoor track slick with rain in the southern Japanese city of Miyazaki.

Kozo Haraguchi, a 95-year-old Japanese, waves with a bouquet of flowers after setting a world record in 100 meters track for men aged 95-99 at an athletic event in Miyazaki, southern Japan, Sunday, June 19, 2005. Haraguchi ran in time of 22.04 seconds to break the previous world record of 24.01.[AP]

"It was the first time for me to run in the rain and as I was thinking to myself, 'I mustn't fall, I mustn't fall,' I made it across the goal," Haraguchi told reporters.

Japanese media reports Monday said that Haraguchi had beaten the world record of 24.01 seconds for the 95 to 99 age group set by Hawaii-resident Erwin Jaskulski in May 1999.

His time will be submitted to the World Masters Athletics organization for verification, they said.

Haraguchi also holds the World Masters Athletics' world record for the fastest man aged 90 to 95 — a time of 18.08 seconds he set in September 2000. He started track events at age 65 and stays healthy by taking hourlong walks daily.

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