Julia 'Hurricane' Hawkins, Who Set Sprinting Records After Her 100th Birthday, Has Died at 108

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: GMA

Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins, the centenarian runner who took up the sport shortly after she turned 100 years old, has died. She was 108.

The retired Louisiana school teacher died at an assisted living center in Baton Rouge on Tuesday, Oct. 22,according toThe New York Timesand the Baton Rouge newspaperThe Advocate.

At the age of 101, the mother of four, grandmother of three and great-grandmother of two began setting world records for her age in the 100-meter dash. In July 2017, she won the event, posting a time of 40.12 seconds at the USA Track and Field Outdoors Masters Championships.

After she crossed the finish line, Hawkins joked to reporters: “I missed my nap for this.”

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“It was wonderful to see so many family members and friends,” Hawkins said after the race, according to the organization. “But I wanted to do it in less than a minute.”

When she wasn’t on training runs around her neighborhood, Hawkins loved to tend to her bonsai trees, according to theTimes.

She placed an emphasis on living simply, and once said the secret to a long life is to eat healthy, exercise and spend time with family.

Despite her own goal of trying to run a personal best in every race, Hawkins remained thankful for her ability to run — and she was realistic about what she expected out of life.

“At this age, you’re not getting better. You’re getting worse,” she said in 2017, according toThe Advocate. “You only have so many 100-yard dashes left. You have to save them.”

source: people.com