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94-Year-Old Becomes Oldest Woman To Run Half Marathon

SAN DIEGO (CBS/AP) — Jeffrey Eggleston of Boulder, Colorado, won the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in 2 hours, 21 minutes, 18 seconds Sunday, and 94-year-old Harriette Thompson of Charlotte, North Carolina, became the oldest woman to run a half marathon.

Thompson finished in 3:42:56 to loud cheers from thousands of spectators lining the finish chute. Two years ago she became the oldest woman to run a marathon.

"I could hear my name being shouted the whole way. I suppose I'm a legacy, at least that's what they say," Thompson said.

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The previous oldest woman to run a half marathon was Gladys Burrill, who was 93 when she finished an event in Hawaii in 2012, according to the Association of Road Running Statisticians.

"It's amazing to me that people are making such a deal about this. At age 94, I guess they don't expect you to be able to do much, but I'm really thrilled that I can help Leukemia and Lymphoma," Thompson told Running Competitor.

Eggleston finished well ahead of runner-up Brandon Messerly of San Luis Obispo, who finished in 2:30:14.

This was the 20th running of the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon, which features bands playing along the course.

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"This is such a cool event. I feel like I am a guest at a birthday party," the 32-year-old Eggleston said. "I wanted to be a piece of history and it was rocking out there. All of the bands and cheerleaders gave it an electric atmosphere. This is such a monumental event for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series and this is the 20th marathon I have finished."

San Diego's Bridie McCarey won the women's marathon in 2:48:48. Ying Tao of San Diego was second in 2:52:58.

(TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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