Age no barrier for Weymouth icosathlon world champion

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75 year old Pete Clarke from Westham in Weymouth has been crowned 2019 icosathlon world champion, setting a world record in his age group at Helsinki, Finland. The gruelling icosathlon, also called the double decathlon, is an ultra multi-event of track and field competition consisting of 20 events contested over two days. There is an extra rule, that each day should contain a pause of one hour. Speaking modestly, Pete told BBC Radio Solent reporter Laurence Herdman: "I'm totally delighted to get there and hope I can set the standard so that the very good athletes from Europe, Australia and America who are following on behind, (not quite my age yet - some of them have still got thirty or forty years to go), but they're determined to try to reach seventy-five and prove that they can do better than I have done." Peter is the club President of Weymouth St Paul's Harriers and Athletics Club and has been a local coach for over 50 years. The following weekend, Pete also took part in the annual Dutch icosathlon held in Delft, Netherlands.