Veteran athlete defies his age in a Marathon hot streak – and credits CurraNZ for turning back the clock

At 64 years old, most would expect to slow down, but not Mark Kleanthous. The Leighton Buzzard-based endurance legend is proving that age is just a number, smashing out two marathons in just two weeks with blistering times that would make younger athletes sweat. 

Kleanthous, a seasoned competitor with 125 marathons under his belt, clocked an extraordinary 3:36:26 in very warm conditions in the London Marathon in April – just 35 minutes shy of his personal best set all the way back in 1981 (images below - Mark pictured in the race, 44 years apart).

Remarkably, this came just 14 days after running 3:21:30 at the Newport Marathon in Wales – a time well within the ‘Good for Age’ benchmark for next year’s London Marathon.

The secret to his age-defying stamina and supercharged recovery? According to Mark, it’s CurraNZ – a potent blackcurrant extract from New Zealand that’s fast becoming a go-to supplement for serious endurance athletes.

“Without CurraNZ, at my age, training, recovery and race-day performances like this would not have been possible. Two days after finishing the marathon, I don’t have any muscle soreness – also thanks to CurraNZ.

“I’m running like I did 15 or 20 years ago,” said Mark, who has been competing in endurance events since the 1980s. “CurraNZ undoubtedly helps me recover faster and perform stronger. My wife Clare, who’s seen me race for over 40 years, told me I looked the strongest she’s ever seen me."

His London marathon time shows he’s just half a second slower per kilometre per year over 45 years. Remarkably, while most marathoners double their time after four decades, Mark has only slowed by 33 minutes over 45 years – averaging just 48 seconds of added time per marathon annually.

With April's London Marathon held in unseasonably warm spring conditions, Mark says, “So many runners were forced to stop, walk or drop out. I didn’t. I finished ahead of 48,668 runners.”

Having now run his 10^th London Marathon and 125^th in total, Mark is one of a dwindling number of original 1981 participants still toeing the line. While many of his peers are spectators now, Mark continues to rewrite the rulebook for what older athletes can achieve.  

And he hasn’t stopped at marathons. In the past few months alone, Mark has:

•        Set a 15-year personal best in the Cambridge Half Marathon (1:33:13)
•        Clocked a 5K PB of 20:33
•        Won the Bedfordshire Cross Country Championship (60-64 age group) – on his 19^th attempt
•        Completed 14 Park Runs since Christmas

So what’s changed? Mark credits a simple but effective shift: Doubling his intake of CurraNZ after reading about a recent Ironman case study that showed the higher dose could reduce lactate by 40%. 

He says, “Since I increased my dosing from 1-2 to 4 capsules before key races and long runs, I’ve hit a purple patch – literally and figuratively,” says Mark. “I’ve been running faster, feeling fitter, and staying well throughout my training. I’ve even noticed how much quicker I recover after intense sessions,” he says.

Mark is quick to point out the value of the superfood berry extract as a performance-enhancing tool for athletes of all ages. “These berries are rich in bioactive compounds that are proven to aid performance, and they’re used by some of the world’s top athletes and ultra-runners. They are particularly good for older athletes, as I’ve discovered,” Mark explains.

The endurance coach’s astonishing lifetime stats read like a Guinness World Record entry: over 283,000 miles swum, biked and run – the equivalent of circling the globe 11 times. 

“I’ve covered more distance than it takes to reach the moon,” he reflects. “CurraNZ hasn’t powered every step, but it’s made a massive difference in these later years. I’ve got no plans to stop now.”