Barely Faster than an 85 Year-Old

My wife and I brought our kids this week to see my parents, who still live in the same house where I grew up. Perhaps inspired by memories of my youth, I ran a 3-mile loop around my old neighborhood at a 7:45 pace. I was feeling great and impressed with myself, so I looked up how fast other age group runners have run a 5k just out of curiosity. If you're an aspiring runner, don't ever do this or it will depress you.

I discovered that Bernard Lagat ran 5000 meters in 13:14 last year at the age of 40, which struck me as impressive and dispiriting at the same time. I hoped that he was an isolated running fluke, until I read that Martin Rees ran a 5k in 14:53 when he was 50. Apparently they're not alone: Ad Heijdens ran a 16:12 at 60 years of age and Ron Robertson ran an 18:15 at the age of 70. None of this made me feel better about running 24:39 last month, which would have put me just ahead of Gordon Porteous, who ran 25:51 at the age of 85. Still, I give them major props for staying super fit, including 90 year old Yoshimitsu Miyauchi, who ran a 29:59. #over90under30.