Buster Martin is reportedly Britain's oldest worker at the age of 101. It's not a desk job, either. He cleans vans three days a week for a plumbing company.
If his age is accurate, Martin set another record on Saturday, completing the London Marathon in a bit over 10 hours. That's better than he'd predicted, and in line with his training. A month earlier, he ran a half marathon in 5:15.
But the folks at Guinness World Records won't certify his achievement as the world's oldest marathoner because there are doubts about his age. He may be "only" 94.
It doesn't matter. He's still my hero. Martin never drinks water, so his trainers arranged to have pints of bitter (a British pale ale) available for him along the way to keep him hydrated. And he's smoked since he was seven, and isn't about to quit now. Halfway through the race, he took a beer and cigarette break. And after the race, he celebrated with a beer and a smoke.
101 or 94, running 26.2 miles fueled by alcohol and tobacco is an awe-inspiring feat. You go, Buster!
UPDATE: It just occurred to me that none of the half-dozen stories I read about Buster mentioned his diet. I bet he's not a vegetarian. I bet he likes steak and kidney pie, bangers and mash, fish and chips …
