Ben Interviews 90-Year Old World Record Holder Dixon Hemphill

Dixon is a world champion runner, and lives right here in Virginia! Ben sat down with Dixon to talk life and running. To hear the full audio of Ben’s interview with Dixon, go to www.BenAndDixon.com. Here is an excerpt:

Ben: About two years ago I saw you in an article and I sent you one of our magazines, and you were doing some awesome running event - and you’re 90 years old! And still very active, so I wanted to get you in to talk a little bit about what it takes to be like you, because you’re an awesome inspiration.

Dixon: Well, I’ve been running for 40 years, and I’m addicted to it. I hope not too much so, but I really enjoy it. Some years back, I was a nationally ranked runner for a good many years, and I had an accident some 16 years ago. I was hit by a car - broke my pelvis, had a collapsed lung, and some broken bones... The extent of my injuries put me in three local hospitals for forty-one days, but eight months later I ran a 5k race down in D.C. for the race for the cure.

I did that just for spite, I just knew that I could get back if I worked at it.

Ben: I love that, you did it for spite! So you were about 74 when you had that accident?

Dixon: That’s right, I was exactly 74.

Ben: And you know, for a lot of folks, a bad accident like that would even mentally set them back. And you either hold, or are shooting for, some records on the running side. Tell us a little about that.

Dixon: Well I continued running after my accident but it wasn’t the same. I was running a 10-minute pace (mile) as opposed to a 7-8 minute pace...

Ben: Oh my gosh, so 74 years old, you could run an 8 minute mile?

Dixon: Well I ran a marathon at an 8 and a half minute pace.

Ben: How old?

Dixon: Uh, 70.

Ben: Oh my goodness...

Dixon: That qualified me for the Boston Marathon, that was my best marathon, that was down in Virginia Beach, the Shamrock Marathon. Have you run that?

Ben: I have not run that one but I’ve run the Marine Corps five times.

Dixon: I know you had done that. At any rate, I was at an indoor track meet three years ago...

To hear the rest of the interview, go to www.BenAndDixon.com