The Racing Game Knows No Age Limit: Ultra Running for 50+

Running a few miles every day, on the streets or parks around us, is something that a lot of people do to stay in shape. But once you’ve got the hang of it, you might start feeling like you want something more challenging. That’s where ultra running comes in, where you push your endurance limits beyond what you thought were capable of.

Ultra running is no longer a sport reserved for the young and reckless. The community is now welcoming an ever-growing number of age 50+ ultra runners. These runners are proving that age is no longer a barrier to pushing your running limits. The numbers speak for themselves. In recent years, older runners have been finishing ultra races at a much higher rate than their younger counterparts. These numbers should inspire us to dust off our running shoes and set our sights on an ultra marathon.

So, what’s the essence of ultra running that’s drawing older runners to the race?

The philosophy of ultra running is about endurance, patience, and persistence. Only last year we saw four 80-year-old men finish the USA Track and Field 100-mile road championship in Nevada, USA. The winner of the 80-to-84 age group, was 80-year-old David Blaylock of Draper, Utah, who completed the course in 29 hours 49 minutes and 29 seconds — around 45 minutes off the existing age-group record.