76-year-old woman sets impressive world record at London Marathon

At the 2024 TCS London Marathon, 76-year-old running sensation Jeannie Rice shattered her own world record in the women’s 75-79 age group, clocking in at an impressive three hours, 33 minutes and 27 seconds. She surpassed her previous world record set just last October in Chicago (at age 75) by more than a minute.

Rice not only won the W75-79 age category at the TCS London Marathon by 30 minutes, she also would’ve won the men’s 75-79 category by 11 minutes. She averaged a ridiculous 5:03/km (or eight-minute mile pace) at age 76 for 42.2K. 

Rice told RunnersWorld.com post-race that she was happy to have run an age-group record, but was hoping to finish closer to three hours and 30 minutes. “I fell off in the last few miles… I guess I’ll have to figure it out and run better in Berlin,” she said.

This is not Rice’s first master’s world record. She also holds the women’s 70-74 marathon record of 3:27:50, which she set in 2018 at 70. This accomplishment adds to her impressive resume of master’s world records in distance running. 

Last year, Rice ran 10 seconds faster (3:33:15 at the Boston Marathon), but Boston’s point-to-point, net-downhill course makes it ineligible for record purposes. She has completed all six Abbott World Marathon Majors, and won her age category in each. 

Rice considers herself a snowbird, as she lives and trains in her hometown of Mentor, Ohio for six months of the year before heading to Naples, Fla., for six months every winter.

Rice’s record at the 2024 London Marathon is pending ratification from World Masters Athletics (WMA).