This 71-Year-Old Just Ran the 100-Meter Dash in 13 Seconds—Breaking Records at Every Turn

An older man in his 70s in China has stunned the world by setting a record of 13 seconds in a 100-meter race.

Chinese local media reported on Tuesday that Jin Hui, 71, won the 100-meter dash for the 70+ age group at the 2024 China National Athletics Masters with a record of 13.97 seconds. Jin’s record is the first in this category to be less than 14 seconds.

In addition to the 100-meter dash, Jin won gold medals in five other events, including the 200-meter and 400-meter relays, the 1600-meter relay, and the long jump.

Born in Inner Mongolia in 1953, Jin worked at a steel factory before retiring and relocating to Qingdao. Because of his childhood experiences of bullying due to his small stature, he started exercising. Though he had never fought with anyone, he became an enthusiast of martial arts and wrestling. He described how he improved his running skills and said, “While others ran 5000 meters, I would quietly push myself to 7000 meters.” He added that he worked for a senior soccer team and devoted himself to running practice.

Looking ahead, Jin has set an ambitious goal to shorten his 100-meter record by 0.12 seconds to 13.85 seconds next year. His recent success has brought him fame and earned him the nickname “Hardcore Uncle” among Chinese fans.