Lester Wright - sportstiger

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Age is just a number and Lester Wright proved it right at one of the most-watched track and field events in the US, the Penn Relays which was held from April 28-30 this year. The 100-year-old man ran his heart out to complete the race. Although he could not win the race, he set an example for the younger generation at such an old age. And this effort of his was cheered heavily by the people present at the venue as they could not stop themselves from standing up and applauding the man.

As soon as Wright crossed the finish line in the Masters’ Men’s 100m dash-80 and older, the entire stadium was on its feet cheering for the old man. Although he finished seventh in the category, he won the hearts of people. Notably, Wright reached the finish line in 26.34 seconds to secure the seventh place for himself.

Meanwhile, the race was won by Bob Williamson, 84 years of age who completed the race with a timing of 17.33 seconds, and he was followed by Richard Ocker and David Cordish, 84 and 82 years of age respectively.

Watch people cheering for Lester Wright here:

Who is Lester Wright? 

Lester Wright is a World War II veteran who also owned a dental lab with his wife post serving in the Army. Wright took up running quite late in his life but he made sure when he did, he makes it count. He has been taking part in Penn Relays for quite a long time and has also won the 200m when he was 76 years of age. Now, after 24 years, he celebrated his 100th birthday (Wright turned 100 on 29 April) by securing the seventh position in the 100m dash.

“I guess it’s really something that you don’t often hear about and it seems like it would be somewhat novel if I can get out there and really perform,” said Wright after turning out for the race. Notably, his passion for running is fully supported by his wife Adele.