JOHANNESBURG - Just about every morning, Deirdre Larkin, 85, runs through the suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa, her white hair buffeted by the wind as she breezes along her well-worn 8-kilometer training course.

A retired concert pianist who began running late in life, she can complete a half-marathon in just over two hours and holds the world record time for her age.

"Before I turned 78, the last time I ran was in college, and I was really bad," she said, standing in front of a wall of some 500 medals in her home recognizing her athletic feats.