Birthday boy Ifan Lloyd celebrates another milestone with gold at the World Marathon Champs in Bucharest.

*Pictured above - Ifan Lloyd won his age cat at the World Marathon champs

Birthday boy Ifan Lloyd celebrates another milestone with gold at the World Marathon Champs in Bucharest.

Report by David Gibson

https://donhaleblog.blogspot.com

www.welshmastersathletics.co.uk

 

The 2024 World Master Athletics Marathon Championships were held as part of the 2024 Bucharest Marathon event held on 13th October 2024.

 

The date of the prestigious event was also shared with the 65th birthday of Swansea Harrier and Welsh Master Ifan Lloyd. 

He was able to celebrate this milestone by creating another - becoming the M65 World Master Athletics Marathon Champion by winning his new age category with scintillating time of 2 hours 49 minutes and 19 seconds. In addition. and subject to ratification, this puts Ifan top of the M65 Abbott WMM MTT Age Group World Rankings.

*Ifan Lloyd (*above), on the podium after winning his age cat.

Afterward the race Ifan said: "Competed the World Masters Marathon championships in Bucharest, Romania this morning. Great city, course, and organisation. 

“A bit hot and sunny for me but thrilled to win individual gold in the men’s 65 to 69 age category in a time of 2h 49m 14s. If ratified this will be a new British record which has stood since 1992. 

“I was also a member of the three-man GB team that took gold in the same age category. Of interest, I completed my first marathon in the inaugural London marathon in 1981 at the age of 21 finishing in a time of 2h 49 but several seconds slower than today. Little did I think at the time I would be running the same time when I was over three times older!"

 

And Welsh Master athlete David Gibson added: “Huge congratulations to Ifan for an outstanding world beating performance."