At 103, a World Record: Japan's Hidekichi Miyazaki Ran the 100-Meter Dash Faster Than Anyone His Age (10 photos)

Nicknamed "Golden Bolt," Japan's Hidekichi Miyazaki took up running at the age of 92 after all his Go playing partners had passed away. By the time he turned 100, the former agricultural cooperative worker had set a world sprinting record for his age group. At 105, he entered the Guinness World Records—and broke down in tears right at the finish line. As the world celebrates the International Day of Older Persons on October 1, here is the story of a man who reinvented his life at an age when most people have long called it quits.





Schoolteacher, Cooperative Worker, and Go Enthusiast

Hidekichi Miyazaki was born on September 22, 1910, in the village of Kumakiri, Shizuoka Prefecture—now part of the Tenryu Ward in Hamamatsu. That same year, Japan annexed Korea, and the Titanic was still under construction at a shipyard in Belfast. In 1928, Miyazaki became a teacher at a local primary school, but he soon contracted tuberculosis and had to step down.



Miyazaki was born in the village of Kumakiri, Shizuoka Prefecture, in 1910—the year Japan annexed Korea and the Titanic was being built.

After recovering in 1933, he joined the Kumakiri credit union, which later became an agricultural cooperative. Miyazaki eventually rose to the position of chairman before retiring in 1975. Alongside his career, he served eight years as a city council member and social officer. He married at 30, had four daughters, and in 1982 moved to Kyoto to live near his eldest daughter.





In retirement, Miyazaki enjoyed playing Go and writing haiku—until he ran out of playing partners.

In his retirement, Miyazaki spent his days playing Go with friends his own age, but one by one, they passed away. At 92, he underwent surgery for a subdural hematoma. It was then that his third daughter suggested he take up an activity he could do on his own. That was how he discovered track and field.

Making His Debut at 93

Miyazaki began training in 2002 after joining a track and field club. In the spring of 2003, at the age of 93, he made his debut at the 12th Kyoto Masters meet. Competing in the M90 category for runners aged 90 to 94, he completed the 60-meter sprint in 17.20 seconds.



Miyazaki made his competitive debut at age 93 in the M90 60-meter dash. In this photo, he is 100 years old.

From there, his times only improved. Miyazaki set his personal best in the 100-meter sprint at age 103, clocking in at 34.10 seconds. He trained every day except when it rained, practicing sprinting and shot put in a park near his home. He also went on daily walks carrying a backpack weighted with one kilogram. Miyazaki woke up at 5 a.m. and completed warm-up routines—marching in place and doing squats—three times a day.

A Centenarian World Record

On October 3, 2010, at the age of 100, Miyazaki took to the track at a stadium in Kyoto. He ran the 100-meter dash in 29.83 seconds, shattering the previous M100 world record (for athletes aged 100 to 104) of 30.86 seconds. The mark was officially ratified by World Masters Athletics, the governing body that tracks records for athletes over 35.



On October 3, 2010, 100-year-old Miyazaki ran the 100-meter dash faster than any centenarian in history.

His journey to the record was far from smooth. In 2007, Miyazaki broke his left leg, spent nearly three months in the hospital, and was confined to a wheelchair. However, he threw himself into rehabilitation and soon returned to training in his local park.



In addition to sprinting, Miyazaki practiced the shot put in the same park.

In 2014, Guinness World Records officially recognized Miyazaki as the world's oldest competitive sprinter. That same year, he received the Japan Sports Grand Prix, a prestigious national honor awarded for outstanding athletic achievement.

At 105: Second in a New Category

On September 23, 2015, the day after his 105th birthday, Miyazaki took his mark at the Kyoto Masters Autumn Championship. The event coincided with Respect for the Aged Day, a national holiday in Japan. He completed the 100-meter sprint in 42.22 seconds, becoming only the second athlete in history to compete in the M105 category (for runners aged 105 to 109). The first was Poland's Stanisław Kowalski, who had set a time of 34.50 seconds on June 28, 2015, just three months earlier.



The 105-year-old Miyazaki was disappointed with his 100-meter time, breaking down in tears at the finish line.

"I guess I'm getting old," Miyazaki told reporters after crossing the finish line.

Miyazaki was deeply disappointed with his performance. In training, he routinely clocked under 36 seconds, but fell short during the official race. Breaking into tears after crossing the finish line, he admitted he was upset with his time. That same day, Guinness World Records presented him with a certificate officially recognizing him as the world's oldest active sprinter.

A Tweet from Usain Bolt

After finishing, Miyazaki struck Usain Bolt's signature "lightning bolt" pose, extending one arm back and pointing the other toward the sky. The photo quickly went viral in global media. Upon seeing the image, the eight-time Jamaican Olympic gold medalist posted a brief shoutout to his centenarian counterpart on Twitter (now X).



Miyazaki adopted the "lightning bolt" pose from Usain Bolt, who acknowledged him with a post on Twitter.

Miyazaki told reporters that he dreamed of meeting Bolt in person. When the Jamaican sprinter visited Japan, he even tried calling Miyazaki, but the elderly runner wasn't home. Miyazaki often compared his times to Bolt's 100-meter world record of 9.58 seconds. As for his secret to speed and longevity, he cited a simple rule: eating in moderation and chewing food thoroughly.

A Record Broken, but a New Focus

On September 20, 2015, just three days before Miyazaki's 105th birthday run, his record fell. In San Diego, 100-year-old American Donald Pellmann ran the 100-meter dash in 26.99 seconds, breaking Miyazaki's M100 record, which had stood for nearly five years.



Miyazaki's M100 record was broken in 2015 by 100-year-old American Donald Pellmann.

Miyazaki took the loss in stride. By then, his focus had shifted to his new age group, M105, where he had virtually no competitors. In 2016, at the Kyoto Masters Autumn Championship, he took to the track for the final time, bringing his athletic career to a close.

Passing and Legacy

On January 23, 2019, Hidekichi Miyazaki passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage in Kyoto at the age of 108. His death was announced by a representative of the Japan Masters Athletics Federation.



In his spare time after launching his athletic career, Miyazaki also managed to earn a 3rd dan rank in Go.

"I am proud of my health. Physically, I'm in great shape—even my doctors are amazed," Miyazaki once said of himself.

Miyazaki also achieved milestones in Go, earning his 1st dan at age 100, 2nd dan at 101, and 3rd dan at 103. He was never one to philosophize about the secrets to longevity. Instead, he simply kept waking up at 5 a.m. every day to train in the park and hit the track.

How do you stay active after 60? Let us know in the comments!