Hong Kong actors Chow Yun-fat, 70, Kent Cheng, 74, Lau Kong, 79, and Paw Hee-ching, 76, made headlines in January for being among the oldest participants in the 10km event at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2026.
In 2025, the then 69-year-old Chow ran the half-marathon at the event, completing the 13.1-mile (21km) race in two hours, 24 minutes and 33 seconds.Recently, a growing number of people in their sixties, seventies, eighties and older have been in the news for taking part in endurance events.
In October 2025, 80-year-old American Natalie Grabow became the oldest woman to finish the 140.6-mile (226.3km) Ironman World Championship triathlon in Kona, Hawaii.
This gruelling race includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a full marathon run.
Korean-American Jeannie Rice, who turns 78 in April, is known for being a fast runner for her age. She has taken part in many marathons, including the 2025 Tokyo Marathon and the 2024 London Marathon – in which she set a new age-group record of three hours, 33 minutes and 27 seconds.
Jeannie Rice runs during a half-marathon in Naples, Florida, on January 18, 2026. The 77-year-old completed the race in 1:43:13, taking first place among the three competitors in the women’s 75- to 79-year-old age group. Photo: Facebook/jeannie.k.rice