Athletes: Older, Faster, Stronger

Older athletes are not only competing in endurance races — they’re excelling. A study of masters athletes (the name given to older competitors, usually over age 35) at the Hawaii Ironman triathlon — an event consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a full marathon — revealed that the top male finishers ages 60 through 64 were only a few minutes slower than the top 30- through 34-year-olds. These older triathletes represent "a fascinating model of exceptionally successful aging," the study authors report in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. … Back to Article