84-Year-Old Man Completes Boston Marathon After Suffering Heart Attack
MARBLEHEAD (CBS) -- Jimmy Green, like thousands of other runners, entered the Boston Marathon for the thrill of the race. What makes Green different is that he is 84 years old -- and that he finished the race after suffering from a heart attack.
Green is an experienced runner who has represented the United States around the world. He has completed the Boston Marathon almost 30 times.
"By the last three or four miles, you can almost smell the finish line," Green said.
Throughout Monday's marathon, Green felt nauseous, though.
When he fainted at a restaurant after the race, Green was rushed to Mass General Hospital to find one of his arteries was 98% blocked.
Dr. Drachman was able to break up the blockage and inserts a stent to keep blood flowing.
"In Jim's case, of the three arteries in which he'd developed a narrowing, his was the most important in heart or even the body. It's what they sometimes refer to as the Widow Maker," explained Dr. Drachman.
Green said, "I'm not a deeply religious person at all but sometimes you feel like you have somebody watching over and somebody looking out for you."
Even after the heart attack, Green looks forward to running again.
"Since you've done it your whole life it would be a hard thing to give up. There [are] still times when you get old, even when the times have slowed down, you feel euphoric, like you could run forever."