Robert Marchand arrives as he sets a record for the fastest 100-year-old to cover 100km at the outdoor Tete-d'Or Velodrome track in Lyon, France. REUTERS/Robert Pratta
Robert Marchand, a former fireman and boxing enthusiast from Paris, who will celebrate his 101st birthday in November, had been training every day for months to cross the finish line in under five hours.
"I did better than expected," he told reporters at the velodrome in Lyon, southeast France, where he completed the 300 laps in 4 hours, 17 minutes, 27 seconds, averaging 23.305kmh.
Marchand's uncommon vitality has piqued the interest of scientists at the Inserm public research institute who have examined him every three months to try to understand the secret to his longevity.
The wiry centenarian, who weighs in at just 51kg, says he never smoked, but otherwise indulged a healthy appetite for wine and women throughout his life.
