100-Year-Old Journalist Sprints 100m, Chases World Record

Most people slow down after 100 candles on the cake, but Allan Martin is speeding up.

The centenarian journalist recently won gold in the 100-meter sprint at the Australian Masters Games, clocking 28.70 seconds in the over-95s category. Now he's training daily to break his own record and compete at the World Masters Games in Korea this September.

"I'm still enjoying life at 100 years of age. That full level of fitness allows you to keep enjoying life," Martin said from Sydney's northern beaches.

The New Zealand native didn't discover his athletic passion until retirement. After spending decades as a newshound whose career took him around the world, Martin found a new challenge in his 60s when most people hang up their running shoes.

His professional legacy runs deep in Australian journalism. As the first executive producer of ABC's This Day Tonight in 1967, Martin helped launch the careers of household names like Mike Willesee, Richard Carleton, and Kerry O'Brien.

The groundbreaking current affairs show mixed hard-hitting political interviews with satire, attracting both praise and controversy. "It proved to be a bit of a hit. It was a fantastic spirit amongst the program," Martin recalled.

After two years leading This Day Tonight, he moved to helm Four Corners before becoming head of Public Affairs Television at ABC. He later returned to New Zealand as director general of TVNZ 2.

Why This Inspires

Martin's story shows that finishing lines keep moving. At 80, he earned his PhD from University of Auckland with a thesis on older adulthood and social change, proving academics and athletics aren't just for the young.

His daily routine includes 15 minutes of focused training and regular gym sessions. "My next goal is to lower that 100 metres record a little. I think I'm within a second or two of reaching that goal," he said.

Between training sessions, the former broadcaster spends his time reading about physics, cosmology, and quantum mechanics online. When asked about today's media landscape, he described it bluntly as "a mess," but his own curiosity remains sharp.

Martin's journey from executive producer to sprinting centenarian proves that retirement is just another starting line.