“
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Sunday, throughout the 42 kilometers and a few meters of the Paris marathon, Charly Bancarel never ceased to thank those who encouraged him, supported him.
However, he only finished in 50,769th position in the standings, out of 50,800 participants.
Except that he was old enough to be the father, the grandfather or even the great-grandfather of the other participants.
At 93, the man who lives in Salers, in the Cantal, offered a new formidable demonstration of courage, self-sacrifice and, somewhere, refusal to age.
What he translated in his own words, at the microphone of France Television: “
We must always continue.
We don't stop when we grow old but we grow old if we stop.
However, Charly Bancarel was not always an assiduous sportsman.
He, the former coach driver, only started jogging at the age of 55.
But since then, he has more than made up for the lost kilometers by completing ten marathons.
And even eleven since this Sunday, since he crossed the line in 7 hours 22 minutes and 11 seconds.
“
It's wonderful, I have tears in my eyes to have received so much encouragement and applause.
It's incredible
he blurted, wiping his eyes after crossing the finish line.
Without the slightest regret, even if he aspired, like a top athlete setting himself big and beautiful goals, to complete the race in 5 hours.
In the end, he didn't succeed.
But no doubt he will try his luck again in a year, he who continues to run a dozen kilometers every morning, all accompanied by bicycle outings to cover around fifty kilometers.
Like what, there is no age to become a champion.
By example.
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