SAMUT SONGKHRAM, Thailand: Thai athlete Sawang Janpram ran 100 meters in 27.08 seconds. Given his age of 102, that's fantastic.

Sawang is renowned as the oldest sprinter in the Southeast Asian country, and he has competed in the annual Thailand Master Athletes Championships four times, most notably in the 100-metre dash, javelin, and discus events.

He won all of the gold medals in the 100-105 years category last weekend in the championship's 26th iteration, which was held in the southern Samut Songkhram province, as he had outlived all of his competitors in that age range.

"Getting into sports made me strong and well. As well as this, exercising helps improve your appetite so you eat well too," Sawang says when asked about the secret to his longevity.

Sawang's daily routine consists of daily walks with his 70-year-old daughter, Siripan, and modest housework such as picking up fallen leaves in their garden.

But, in preparation for the games, the centenarian worked out twice a day with his daughter at a local stadium for a week.

"My father always has positive thoughts ... so he is in a great mental health condition. In terms of physical health, he has gotten much stronger," Siripan says.

The preparation paid off. This year, Sawang's time for the 100-meter sprint was a personal best and a new Thai record for his age category.

Usain Bolt, who currently holds the world record, ran it in 9.58 seconds in 2009.

According to Viwat Vigrantanoros, president of Asia Masters Athletics, as Thailand's society matures, the number of participants in the seniors' category has increased.

When the Thailand Master Athletes Championships first took place in 1996, there were only about 300 competitors. There are now over 2,000, ranging in age from 35 to 102 years.

"As you can see, everybody who's here to compete has all forgotten about their ages. Once they forget about their ages, they are happy," Viwat said.

Edited - SportsAction / Inputs - Agency