League Of Her Own: 76 YO Runner Jeannie Rice Breaks World Record, Again

76-year-old running veteran Jeannie Rice has surpassed her record in the women's 75–79 age division at the 2024 TCS London Marathon with a time of three hours, 33 minutes, and 27 seconds. She beat the previous world record, which she had established in Chicago at 75, by almost a minute.

Rice told Runner's World that she was only “somewhat” satisfied with her London performance. She stated that while she was on pace and running steady splits, she was expecting to be closer to 3:30. However, she faltered in the last two miles.

The Unbeatable Jeannie

The Ohio resident citizen started running at the age of 35 because she believed that jogging would be the most effective way to shed the few pounds she had acquired during a trip back to Seoul. After over 40 years, the semi-retired real estate agent is now a formidable competitor in any marathon event!

With a time of 3:27:50 in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2018, she broke the world record for marathoners in her age group. She is 70 years old. The next year, she broke her own record by three minutes at the BMW BERLIN marathon (3:24:38). In addition, she owns the world records for the half marathon (1:37:07) and the ten miles (1:11:41) in her age group.

When it comes to injuries, Jeannie has also been extremely fortunate over her running career. Her amazing training focus and discipline may have contributed to her injury-free career. 

Rice's accomplishment in London is noteworthy even after her impressive showing at the Boston Marathon the previous year, where she finished barely 10 seconds quicker. Her Boston time is still outstanding, but it is not eligible for records because the route is point-to-point and net-downhill. Still, Rice has won every Abbott World Marathon Major, taking first place in her age group each time.

Speaking to Abbott World Marathon Majors, Rice expressed, “I would say: Stay fit and healthy with a controlled and steady diet. Don’t be disappointed and don’t give up when the results are not there. Be patient and keep trying. Run with your friends and make it a fun activity.”