85-Year-Old Santa Cruz Runner Makes Boston Marathon History
(KPIX) -- 85-year-old Katherine Beiers finished the Boston Marathon Monday afternoon with an unofficial time of 7-hours and 50-minutes. Beiers was the oldest of the 29,978 runners who entered prestigious race. She's also the oldest female to ever cross the finish line.
A resident of Santa Cruz for nearly 60 years, Beiers became the mayor in 1993, nine years before she ran her first marathon in Napa. Recently she had been running 45 miles per week around Santa Cruz in order to train.
Monday's Boston Marathon was Beiers' 14th and it proved to be her most difficult. She battled rain, wind and temperatures that dipped into the 30s. The New England elements contributed to her highest time ever.
Joining her in the race was her son John, who reports his mom enjoyed a traditional post-race pint of beer at the hotel bar.
"A beer is my recovery drink," she told KPIX before leaving for Boston.
