It wasn’t all bad

A British-born octogenarian runner has added to his haul of world records. Ed Whitlock, 85, finished the Toronto Marathon in 3 hours, 56 minutes and 33 seconds – cutting almost 40 minutes off the record for men aged 85 to 89. He holds more than 30 records, including the fastest marathon times for the 70-74, 75-79 and 80-84 age groups. A junior runner while at university in the UK, Whitlock gave up the sport when he moved to Canada – before picking it up again in his 40s.

The world’s largest marine reserve has been declared in Antarctica. Following years of negotiations, delegates from across the world agreed to grant the Ross Sea protection from commercial fishing for the next 35 years. Spanning some 600,000 square miles (more than six times the size of the UK), the region is said to be the Earth’s most pristine marine ecosystem. It’s home to 38% of the world’s Adélie penguins, and vast numbers of krill, a staple food for whales and seals. Under the plans, most of the region will be designated a “no-take” zone, where nothing can be removed: in a few areas, limited fishing will be allowed, but only for research purposes.

The agreement was hailed as a victory for the endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh’s “Speedo diplomacy”. A British maritime lawyer, and the UN Patron for the Oceans, Pugh (pictured) has drawn global attention to the Ross Sea by going on long-distance swims in its icy waters. In the past two years, he has also made several visits to Moscow, where he won over Russian officials who were initially sceptical about the proposals. “I am overjoyed,” said Pugh. “This is a crucial first step in what I hope will be a series of marine protected areas.”