He Should've Had This Sprint Record at Age 100

Lester Wright's most famous race may never appear in the record books, but it's hard to forget. The New York Times reports that the World War II veteran, who stunned the crowd at the 2022 Penn Relays by sprinting 100 meters just a day after his 100th birthday, died April 20 at his New Jersey home at the age of 103. Wearing a singlet, knee-length tights, and two thin braids, Wright covered the distance in 26.34 seconds—faster than any other known centenarian—and beat competitors more than a decade younger.

Yet arcane paperwork rules and what officials say was a lost finish-line camera image kept the mark from being certified. In the Times' telling, however, the almost-record is just one piece of a larger life. Wright served in segregated Army units in World War II, later co-ran what was said to have been the first Black-owned dental lab in New Jersey's Monmouth County, and returned to sprinting in his golden years simply because he liked to move. A sports scientist says his physiology was "probably better than some college students." More here for the full portrait. Meanwhile, the Times honors other runners who kept lacing up way past retirement age.