For her 80th birthday, Jan Holmquist had just one wish: to break the record for her age group in the 5K.
And she wasted no time making that come true.
Yesterday, Sunday, May 19, 2024, Holmquist took to the start line of the Great Bear Run in Needham, Massachusettes.
Proving age is just a number, Holmquist completed the race in 24:08, breaking the world record in her age group, placing first in her age group and, impressively, beating around half of all participants, ranking 425 out of 854.
Holmquist, a World, and American record holder, began running over 40 years ago when she was 38. She was at a scouting event with her son and another child’s father dared her to run a mile on the outdoor track nearby in under 10 minutes. After easily accomplishing the feat, she was hooked and began running nearly every day around her home.
Her first race came after her daughter called home asking Holmquist to run a 5-mile race with her in Boston. Holmquist jumped at the opportunity and ended up winning the 40-49 age group.
Alongside breaking records, Holmquist has qualified for and ran four Boston Marathons with her daughter.
Holmquist sees running as a life-long activity and plans to continue for as long as she can.
“I don’t think too much about the aging process. I don’t feel old. I am still setting records. I think my older friends and I enjoy showing by example that running is a life-long activity.”
