Betty Lindberg (born September 7, 1924) is an American masters track and field athlete.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | September 7, 1924 |
| Sport | |
| Country | USA |
| Sport | Athletics |
Biography
editLindberg celebrated her 100th birthday on September 7, 2024.[1]
Career
editBetty began her running career at the age of 63 and despite being a late bloomer in the athletic arena, she managed to accomplished notable milestones and stamp her authority at the highest level by taking part in various national and international events. She made her debut appearance at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race competition during its 1989 edition. It was revealed that she gained inspiration by witnessing other runners after driving her children to the race's starting line at the 1988 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race. She immediately made a decision to compete at Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race, the very next year in 1989. Since then, she made it a habit to compete at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race competition annually.[2]
She is reportedly acknowledged in sporting fraternity as one of the most recognizable participants in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race's coveted history.[3] In May 2016, she shattered the world record in the women's 800-meter competition for her age group category at the age of 91 during the Atlanta Track Club's All Comers meet which was held at Emory University.
She took part at the 2019 edition of the USATF Masters Indoor Championships at the age of 94 and won a plethora of medals. In February 2022, she competed at the USATF Master's 5K Championships in Atlanta, and went onto set a new world record for the 95–99 age group category.[4] To be precise, she established an age group world record with a sublime timing of 55 minutes and 48 seconds during the 2022 Atlanta Publix 5K.[5][6]
In February 2023, she once again made headlines all over the world and became a media sensation for her athleticism she showcased during the USATF Masters 5K Championships with a scintillating run duration of 59 minutes and 6 seconds, literally crossing the race line marginally within less than an hour (by the barest of all margins) to complete the race albeit in a breathtaking finishing touch.[7] She received thunderous response from the audience and was well received and greeted with flashing cameras and an applause from compatriots when she crossed the finish line.[2][8]
She took part at the 2024 edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race competition, which eventually turned out to be her 35th Peachtree Race appearance in her illustrious athletic career spanning for over three decades.[9] Her participation at the 2024 edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race came at the age of 99, shattering stereotypes surrounding around the age factor and she was only few months away from celebrating her 100th birthday.[10] She has been taking part at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race for 35 consecutive years without missing even a single edition of a calendar year.
References
edit- ^ Clanton, Nancy. "Happy 100th birthday to Betty Lindberg, a Peachtree Road Race legend". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ a b "98-Year-Old Betty Lindberg Puts Down Another Blazing 5K Performance". Runner's World. 2023-02-28. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ Buccy, Sawyer (2023-02-28). "98-year-old Atlanta woman continues to make waves in the running world". www.atlantanewsfirst.com. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ "Betty Lindberg, 97-Year-Old World Record Holder". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ Neagen, Alexandra (2023-03-31). "98 year-old Betty Lindberg completes 5K race in under an hour". Women's Running. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ "Betty Lindberg, Breaking Records at 96". Growing Bolder®. 2016-07-12. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ https://www.wsj.com/articles/running-workout-10k-races-senior-age-group-8fdc9e50
- ^ "98-year-old woman finishes 5k race in under an hour, inspires netizens". The Indian Express. 2023-03-09. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ "99-year-old Betty Lindberg finishes AJC Peachtree Road Race". ajc. Retrieved 2024-09-12.
- ^ Staff, A. J. C. "WATCH: Keeping up with Steady Betty". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved 2024-09-12.