New Zealand’s Garth Barfoot completes New York Marathon at age 88, oldest finisher in 2024

Kiwi Garth Barfoot was the oldest competitor to cross the line at this year’s New York Marathon, going better than his colossal effort in 2023.

At 88, the Kiwi businessman - who is the patriarch of real estate company Barfoot & Thompson - ticked off the 42.2km through the streets of the Big Apple in 11 hours, 23 minutes and 49 seconds.

Last year, at the tender age of 87, Barfoot had attempted to get through the same event but was forced to tap out of the race two-thirds of the way through due to conditions.

“I wasn’t enjoying it, it was getting colder,” Barfoot told the Herald at the time. “It’s winter, early spring and once the sun goes down it gets quite cold.”

He said he usually prepares for morning races and he didn’t bring the right clothes to run in the evening.

“I was frightened it would get too dark before I finished, and it would be hard for me to get back to base, so after 30km I stopped.”

And after vowing to better his own mark 12 months on, Barfoot lived up to his word and got the job done at the second time of asking.

Barfoot can now add New York to the list of more than 30 marathons and Ironman triathlons he’s completed in his lifetime.

Throughout his hundreds of hours of racing, the indefatigable endurance athlete revealed what he thinks about on course.

“I think about doing all the things my Pilates instructor has told me to do, be tall.

“She says try to put your head through the roof of the tent - don’t slouch.”

Born in May 1936 - three months before the Berlin Olympics where New Zealander Jack Lovelock struck 1500m gold - Garth went on to carve out a hugely successful career in real estate.

However, in the second half of his life, he has embraced endurance sports.

In 1990 he completed the first of his 18 Rotorua Marathons - crossing the line alongside his wife, Judy - a race which provided many vivid memories.

Barfoot was believed to be the oldest runner in the history of the New York Marathon, however that tag is now understood to belong to former US Marine Jonathan Mendes, who completed the same course in 2016, at the age of 96.

Colin Thorne is the oldest New Zealander to complete the New York Marathon, after doing so in 2013 at the age of 89.