CINCINNATI — Mike Fremont, at 103 years old, is making history this weekend as the oldest person to run in the Flying Pig 50 West Mile race.
He'll also carry the torch to kick off Flying Pig weekend.
With 60 marathons under his belt, Fremont shows that age is truly just a number.
"How long have you been running for?" I asked him.
"103 years," Fremont said.
I joined Fremont and his good friend Harvey Lewis for a few laps at Glenwood Gardens Park, where Fremont's infectious smile and determination were on full display.
Take some strides with us as Fremont shares his running journey:
"There's not a lot of 103-year-olds moving like you are," Lewis said.
The pair have been running together since 1999, forming a bond that has lasted decades.
"He's been a real inspiration for me," Lewis said. "I mean the fact that Mike at 103 continues to get out there and push himself. The cane is new this year but that's OK, we're doing it."
Fremont's running journey began after a personal tragedy struck his family.
"Well, my wife died," Fremont said. "And I thought I needed to relax a certain amount, so I started running across a dam by my property."
As a single father of three children, Fremont incorporated running into his parenting routine.
"I would take one child at a time, give them my finger, and run with them. So I ran with my children every day after work," Fremont said.
Then, in 1991, Fremont faced another significant challenge.
"He got cancer at 69, and they told him he had three months to live," Lewis said.
Despite the grim prognosis, Fremont never doubted his ability to keep running.
"You have to cope with these things somehow in your life," Fremont said.
That resilient attitude is what keeps him moving forward, one step at a time.
