Dimitrion Yordanidis was a Greek runner, who, according to Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...

, completed the 26-mile marathon

Marathon

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...

 course from Marathon, Greece

Marathon, Greece

Marathon is a town in Greece, the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, in which the heavily outnumbered Athenian army defeated the Persians. The tumulus or burial mound for the 192 Athenian dead that was erected near the battlefield remains a feature of the coastal plain...

 to Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

 on October 10, 1976 in 7 hours 33 minutes, aged 98. Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...

 considered him to be the oldest man to complete a marathon until Fauja Singh

Fauja Singh

Fauja Singh is a British centenarian marathon runner of Indian Sikh origin. He is a world record holder in his age bracket...

 completed the Toronto Marathon on October 16, 2011 at the age of 100 (and a half).

Yordanidis is unknown to the Association of Road Racing Statisticians, which maintains a list of single age records. It currently lists Fauja Singh

Fauja Singh

Fauja Singh is a British centenarian marathon runner of Indian Sikh origin. He is a world record holder in his age bracket...

 and Jenny Wood-Allen

Jenny Wood-Allen

Jenny Wood-Allen MBE was a Scottish marathon runner and Guinness World Record holder, running in over 30 marathons since 1983 and earning more than £70,000 for charity.-Career:...

 as the oldest male and female marathon record holders in the 90+ age group. Fauja Singh finished the Toronto Marathon

Toronto Marathon

The Toronto Marathon, held annually in May, is a race from Mel Lastman Square, in the north end of Toronto, to Queen's Park. The race was initially called the Canadian International Marathon, and was first held in 1995 under its current organizer. The origins of the event trace back to 1977. In...

 2003 in 5 hours and 40 minutes, aged 92; Jenny Wood-Allen walked the London Marathon

London Marathon

The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...

 2002 course in 11 hours and 34 minutes, aged 90.

Yordanidis is also absent from the records list maintained by the World Masters Athletics organization, which ratifies and registers five-year age-group records. The WMA list for marathon finishers contains no entries for the 95+ age group and above.

Veteran marathon runner Werner Sonntag took part in the 1976 Marathon-Athens race and reported in his weekly column that the German sports magazine, Spiridon, claimed at the time that Yordanidis cut the course by using a car; however, no proof of this assertion was ever provided to the WMA authorities.