Ginette Bedard

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Ginette Bedard
Personal information
CitizenshipUnited States[1]
Born (1933-12-08) December 8, 1933 (age 90)[2]
Metz, France
Years active2001–Present[3]
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • Marathon: 3:46:03 (2006)[3]
  • Half-marathon: 1:45:54 (2003)[3]

Ginette Bedard (born December 12, 1933) is a French-American long-distance runner from Queens, New York. She is known for her participation in marathons since 2001, at the age of sixty-seven.[4][5] In 2005, she set the U.S. marathon record for women aged 70–74.[6][7] In 2008, at age seventy-four, she set the masters W75 marathon world record with a time of 4:08:31.[8] As of 2020, she has participated in seventeen New York City Marathons, where she at times has been the oldest woman to participate.[9]

She attributes her fitness despite her age to the practice of running ten miles a day along Howard Beach where she resides.[10]

Background[edit]

Bedard was born in Metz, France. She married a member of the Canadian Air Force and moved to Canada, then later to New York, where she became an American citizen.[11] When interviewed by the New Yorker in 2019, she said she first became interested in physical fitness after watching the Jack LaLanne Show on a regular basis:[12]

Jack LaLanne, he got me inspired...every day I watched him on TV, and also I work at the airport, and one person said, "I just finished a marathon."
"Marathon?" I said. "Oh, I could never be like those, they're superhuman. Gee, wait a minute – if he could do [it], so can I!"

Running career[edit]

Bedard participated in her first New York City marathon in 2002,[13] and according to the New York Road Runners has since ran in over 350 races, including 44 half-marathons and 20 marathons.[3]

Notable marathoning achievements[edit]

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
2005 New York City Marathon New York City, United States 5,248 (1st in age-graded, 2nd in age-group) 3:46:34 (former U.S. marathon record for women aged 70–74)[14][2]
2008 New York City Marathon New York City, United States 15,794 (1st in age-graded) 4:08:31 (Masters W75 marathon world record)[8][2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Constantinesco, Kim (November 4, 2018). "Ginette Bedard, 85, runs 365 days a year, finishes NYC Marathon". Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "All Time World Rankings - Marathon". www.mastersathletics.net. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Ginette Bedard". New York Road Runners Race Results. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  4. ^ Oztaskin, Murat (2019-10-30). "An Octogenarian Laces Up Her Sneakers for the New York City Marathon". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  5. ^ Tymn, Mike (2006-08-29). "Ginette Bedard". Runner's World. Archived from the original on 2019-09-09. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  6. ^ Hoppe, Stephanie (2019-10-30). "86-year-old Marathoner Ginette Bedard Shares Her Training". PodiumRunner. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  7. ^ ""It's An Addiction": 85-Year-Old French Woman's Love For Marathons". NDTV. Agence France-Presse. November 2, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Ginete Bedard - 2008 ING New York City Marathon". New York Road Runners Race Results. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  9. ^ "Meet Queens resident Ginette Bedard, one of NYC Marathon's oldest runners". QNS.com. Archived from the original on 2019-11-02. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  10. ^ Meschke, Jacob (2018-11-20). "85-Year-Old Marathoner on Her 10-Mile Daily Runs, Fad Diets, and the Problem With Men Her Age". Runner's World. Archived from the original on 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  11. ^ Oztaskin, Murat (2019-10-30). "An Octogenarian Laces Up Her Sneakers for the New York City Marathon". ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  12. ^ Running the New York City Marathon at Age Eight-Six (Video). The New Yorker. October 30, 2019. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  13. ^ "Ginette Bedard - 2002 New York City Marathon". NYRR. November 3, 2002. Archived from the original on January 22, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  14. ^ "Ginete Bedard - 2005 ING New York City Marathon". New York Road Runners Race Results. November 6, 2005. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.


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