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On September 13, 2023, the Guinness E-book of World Information introduced a brand new recordholder for the world’s oldest bike racer. Again in February 2023, a racer named Leslie Harris competed on his BSA Bantam on the Pukekohe forty third Traditional Bike Pageant in Auckland, New Zealand.
Harris was 97 on the time, and the occasion happened about three weeks earlier than his 98th birthday. On the time, the occasion was already fairly particular for a number of causes. For one, Harris was racing with two different generations of his household within the occasion.
His eldest son Rod, who was 64 on the time, and granddaughter Olivia, aged 21, additionally suited up to participate throughout the competition. The occasion was additionally bittersweet, because the circuit had been bought and this was the final time that occasion can be held there—however no less than they have been all there to expertise it collectively.
All three members of the Harris household competed within the Regularity race, the place the purpose is just not quickness, however consistency. The rider with essentially the most constant lap instances wins. Les was a earlier winner of this occasion again in 2019, when he was simply 93 years outdated.
For varied causes, Les hadn’t been capable of compete between 2019 and 2023, so he was very a lot wanting ahead to saddling again up and getting out on observe on his beloved BSA Bantam. First, he had hip surgical procedure after the 2019 occasion, which after all required restoration time. On the 2020 occasion, he’d deliberate to compete however then injured himself throughout qualifying, breaking six ribs. That meant extra restoration time—and sadly, no competitors.
Then the COVID pandemic got here, and every kind of public occasions, together with races, merely weren’t held for a few years. Would 2023 lastly break the racing drought?
Fortunately, it labored out—and all three members of the Harris household have been on observe that day. Les completed in fourth place, whereas Rod took eighth and Olivia took twenty first in her first 12 months of competitors.
Racing doesn’t at all times run in households, nevertheless it’s at all times additional cool to see when it does. Contemplating that Les has apparently been racing since 1953—that is 70 years, for those who’re counting—it appears doubtless that the 2 youthful generations have comfortable reminiscences of time spent on the observe with Les.
What’s Les going to do now that he’s a Guinness World Record holder? If all goes in response to plan, he’ll be racing in February 2024, on the forty fourth Traditional Bike Pageant—when he’ll be 98 years outdated and will be capable to break his outdated file.
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