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Senior Runners
- By Doug Kurtis
Free Press Columnist
11/11/05
This past month I began talking to senior runners to find out what their running has been like since retiring from work. I also wanted to find out if they still enjoyed racing and what races could do to encourage them to keep competing.
James Lovat won the 75 and over age group in the 2004 Turkey Trot. He was eighty years old then. While talking to him I realized how simple it is to have five year age groups for everyone that enters a race. An event scoring team can easily add categories at no extra cost. There is no need to buy extra awards for every possible age group. About twenty percent of most races awards go unclaimed. If engraving is required race directors can order a percentage without an inscription and let the winners add it later.
73 year old Bob Robins, a former Michigan resident, echoed the same sentiments. He said some races stop age groups at sixty and over, making it difficult for him to compete. Robins now lives in Naples, Florida and enjoys the options available to him since retiring. "I can run on the beach in the afternoon or get up early to run before meeting the Gulf Coast Runners for coffee and bagels in the morning", he emailed. He said his training is still there, but with less intensity and miles. "My advice to seniors is to continue running. The camaraderie alone is great, but realize the body does have its limitations. Focus on goals and objectives, but don't set them as high as before."
At 68, Motor City Strider, Merion Knight loves the scheduling freedom of retirement to race and train more. "As I have aged, I just run slower, not less. And I'm just as competitive now as I was at 45." Her advice for younger runners is to "Keep running to stay healthy".
Al Shepard, 68 from East Port, MI. Running became his passion following retirement ten years ago. He ran six days a week and raced 25 to 30 weekends a year. Now his training isn't as serious but he still loves going to races every other weekend. As he has aged, Shepard has found the running takes up more energy and requires less strenuous other daily activities. He also wants to see all the older age groups acknowledged.
Hugh Sweeney, 76 of Novi finds that retirement enables him to run when he wants or feels like it. When he was working he ran when time allowed. Like Robins, he said that failure to adjust the intensity level of training can often result in injury. He has become more selective in choosing races to compete and makes them an excuse to travel more. Per Sweeney, "You have more time to train but you don't train more. The draw back is that your training is now less structured, so you have to be more diligent about getting it done." He finds that he needs more rest at night and more days off. Sweeney pointed out, "Those that are still running at 60 or 70 are not joggers. They are for the most part, very dedicated, competitive runners who happen to be older."
Contact Doug Kurtis at Detroit Free Press, 600 W. Fort St.
Detroit, 48226
or [email protected]
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Doug Kurtis the former Race Director
for the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank International Marathon
is the world record holder for most career sub 2:20 marathons
(76) and most marathon victories (39). Doug is a five time Olympic
Trial Qualifier 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996. He was voted
into the RRCA Hall of Fame in 1998 and Michigan Runner of the
Year - 1985 and 1990. Doug coached two 2000 Olympic Trial Marathon
Qualifiers.
Personal Bests:
26.2m -
2:13:34, 25km - 1:17:58, 13.1m - 1:04:51, 20km 1:02:37
10m - 48:33, 15km - 46:01, 10km - 29:44, 8km - 23:25
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