New York City Marathon's Oldest Female Finisher Dies
By Peter Gambaccini, Runner's World
Joy Johnson, who at 86 was the oldest woman to complete Sunday's New York City Marathon, died on Monday at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan.
As the New York Daily News reports, Johnson fell and hit her head on pavement near the marathon's 20-mile mark. Medical personnel wanted to take her to the hospital, but she insisted on finishing the race, said her sister, Faith Anderson. Johnson finished in 7:57:41, her 25th New York City finish.
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Johnson, who was from San Jose, California, and Anderson joined a crowd outside at the "Today" show at Rockefeller Center on Monday morning. Johnson later complained of feeling tired. After laying down in her hotel room, she never woke up. She was declared dead at Bellevue.
Johnson had become the New York City Marathon's oldest woman in 2011, when she ran 7:44:45 at age 84. In 2008, at age 81, she ran the Twin Cities Marathon in 6:06:54 and New York City in 6:05:58 four weeks apart.
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In a pre-race interview, Johnson said, "I'll be at the back of the pack, but I don't mind. I just praise the Lord I can get out of bed each morning and run. A lot of people my age are in wheelchairs." On some days, Johnson would do 150 push-ups.
She was a gym teacher who took up running upon her retirement. Johnson was one of just 31 starters over age 80 in New York City on Sunday.
"I always say I'm going to run until I drop," Johnson said the day before the marathon. "I'm going to die in my tennis shoes. I just don't know when I'm going to quit."
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