New York City (AFP) - An American grandmother, who on Sunday was the oldest woman to compete in the New York marathon, died a day later. She was 86.
Joy Johnson from San Jose, California, took just under eight hours to complete the 26.2-mile (42.2km) race through all five boroughs of the biggest city in the United States.
She stumbled and hit her head at around the 20th mile. But she went to the medical tent only after completing the race and declined their insistence that she go to hospital.
"She never really ran to compete, she ran because she loved it," her youngest daughter Diana Boydston told AFP by telephone Tuesday.
Johnson, who would have turned 87 on Christmas Day, had been a physical education teacher and coach for many years, but only took up running in retirement.
Sunday was the 25th consecutive time she finished the race. Her fastest time in New York was just under four hours in 1991. She came first in her age group six times.
"She was a woman of great faith, that was first in her life, faith and family and then probably running. She really loved to run. She made a lot of friends that way all over the world," Boydston said.
"She really was amazing."
