Some 72 yr old guy just broke 3 hrs for the marathon! A 92 yr old guy ran 5:40. And for some other older, but not *old *guys, 7 guys ran 32:00 or better, one going sub-30, at the national masters 10k champs.
I read that the guy who ran 5:40 is 93. Amazing. The 72 year old guy regular runs 35-36 minute 10k races too. He is incredible.
Speaking of fast marathons … How about in Berlin where a 2:04:55 was run yesterday for a new world best.
As a young pup of 48 I guess I don’t have any excuses for getting faster.
Regarding age and 10-k speed, I’m curious to find out how much someone is “expected” to slow with age.
For example my personal best is/was 33:20 for a 10-k at age 30. What should I expect to run at age 48? Anybody know?
I recently visited a recommended Podiatrist who proceeded to tell that at my age (33) that I couldn’t possibly expect to continue running fast. He didn’t even know how fast I could/had run but just stereotyped since I look young. He was a runner himself that kept bragging about how fast he “used” to be, nearly running a 3 hr marathon (20 yrs ago) . . . Yawn . . .
I reported the fact that I would need to slow down due to my age to one of my running buddies. He is 45 and runs a 15:30 5K . . . we had a good laugh.
One last story. In the past I lived in the Midwest and always ran the Bix 7. I remember running in the early/mid 90’s when Bill Rodgers was making a strong showing for his age. I remember running along and about 3 miles into the race the crowd starts cheering and the next thing I know Bix Billy passes me in his rather unique running style looking like he is all of 70 years old.
OK, one more story. A different time I was in a half marathon that Steve Scott was in when making his master’s showing sometime in the 90’s. I don’t remember how it happened, but he and I were running together the last mile of the race. The race finished on approx a 400 yard crowd lined section of street. I thought myself pretty fast, usually managing to run 60 flat at the end of a 5k on the track so figured what the hell and tried to burry him the last 1/4 mile. Short story, he beat me like a red headed step child. We had a good laugh afterwards, hey I had to try it. Sad thing is that most spectators didn’t even know who he was, only that I got out kicked by “some old guy”.
Also amazing is that the 93 year-old guy took up running a few years ago. I can’t remember exactly, but I think he stopped running when he started feeling old 30 or so years ago, then took it up again when he was 89.
what a depressing site. according to it, I should be running a 16:49 for 5k at age 43, less than a minute slower than my PB at 24. I can do sub-20 with a month or so of dedicated training, but sub-17 is as far away as the moon…