CAPE TOWN, South Africa (July 10) - It took him two tries, but South African Philip Rabinowitz made it into the Guinness Book of World Records Saturday as the fastest 100-year-old to run 100 meters.
Rabinowitz made his run at the Green Point stadium in 30.86 seconds, beating the previous record of 36.1 seconds.
Last week Rabinowitz also broke the record, clocking 28.7 seconds at the Mandela Park Athletics stadium in Khayelitsha, outside Cape Town. But a power outage stopped the official electronic clock, so the time was not recorded or recognized.
But the man known as "Rabinoblitz" and "Flying Phil" was not deterred, and this week he returned for a second try, the South African Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Rabinowitz already holds the record for world's oldest competitive walker.
He practices daily by walking 3.7 miles and sticks to a healthy diet. Rabinowitz, who turned 100 in February, still works, handling accounts for his daughter's business.
He participated in the South African leg of the Olympic torch relay across the globe earlier this year.
