A 98-year-old man completed the Mount Washington Road Race for the 13th time
“You just keep going, just like any other race.”
On Saturday, George Etzweiler completed the Mount Washington Road Race for the 13th time, cheered on by onlookers who took photos as the 98-year-old ascended the mountain, Runners World reports. According to the magazine, Etzweiler, from State College, Pennsylvania, participated in the race with two of his trainers at the gym where he trains twice a week and stopped only to drink some lemonade and tea on the way. Two of his great-grandchildren were at the peak when he arrived, walking with him to the finish line where the 98-year-old finished with a time of 4:04:48 — a one-minute improvement from last year.Etzweiler, a retired electrical engineering professor, began running in 1968, according to the Centre County Gazette. He plans to continue participating in the New Hampshire mountain race through 2020 and his 100th birthday, according to the newspaper.
State College legend George Etzweiler will be running the 7.6-mile Mount Washington Road Race in New Hampshire [TODAY], the day before Father’s Day. The race is a 4,650-foot climb up the highest peak in the Northeast…George is 98 years old. – https://t.co/l95zm24Blr pic.twitter.com/PMLI8Wxv3N
— Centre Co. Gazette (@CentreCoGazette) June 16, 2018
“You just keep going, just like any other race,” Etzweiler told the Gazette. “You just keep going to the top. I go as fast I can without killing myself before I get there.”
According to Runners World, the 98-year-old received a minute-long standing ovation once he returned to the base of the mountain after the race, where he received multiple medals for his participation.
“Seeing him finish is powerful and emotional,” his grandson, Bob, told the Gazette. “I have looked up to him my whole life, and to see him continue to be that person and continue to be inspiring, it is powerful. Last year was tough, but to see his strength of spirit on the mountain, it is just beautiful to behold.”
