men and women in your late 40s to 60 plus do you run to keep healthy or because you are competitive

51yo here. I run 6-7 days a week, partly to see what I can do, but also, in part to switch off. Started running regularly in my early 40s with aims to break 20 and 40 for the 5/10k. Last year I ran a sub-5 mile on the track and a 2.36 marathon. Hoping not to slow down too quickly.

Still well under the age bracket I am 40 but I run to and workout for fitness I have zero running or racing goals actually glade I don't have to train like a maniac anymore. I actually find competitive poker tournaments much more enjoyable than I ever found racing and I was a decent runner had range from a 3:45 1500m to a 29:05 10,000m.

I hate running, but hate not running more. It a long slow slog. I suppose I’ll keep running as long as I can. Want to quit, but keep qualifying for Boston so I keep running it. Still setting some prs. (Was a mid pack d3 runner) now closer to trailing pack old person. Still curious if I ever could have been or could be fast.

Never really got any tangible benefit from it, but I always assume I’ve avoided negative consequences.

This should be the end of the thread, but I would add that I also run to be able to keep up and have a good time with my kids when we go hiking, skiing or biking.

In my early 60’s. I ran track in college and competed in road races into my 40s. Now I run about every other day for fitness and mental well-being. Competitions in age groups is still a possibility if I change my mind

61 years old and much slower than I used to be but I workout everyday (almost all running) because I still enjoy the whole process of training/racing. I'm competitive within my age group but I wouldn't care if I wasn't, I'd still train and 'race', if you can call it that!

Been running in one form or another since HS. I like the health benefits of running and still have competitive urges to do the best I can. Am 51 now, definitely much slower then I used to be but running sub 1:30 halfs and marathons from 3:10 to 3:22 depending on how build ups and other things go. Will keep running marathons until I can no longer break 3:30 or a doctor tells me to quit. Currently run 50-70 miles a week during marathon build ups.

I'm 73 and started running in high school. I have trained and raced almost continuously since college, and now weigh about 2-3 lbs less than my college racing weight. Last year I averaged right at 40mpw and ran about a half dozen road races and 8 XC races. I still love the training process and the energy of racing and the people I do it with. As long as my body continues to hold together I expect to keep doing it.

I run now to be healthy. The last time I raced was in the summer of 2008.

To help you understand my point of view…

Even if I was into times, race places and PB’s…who else would be interested in what I could achieve? Heck, even my wife isn’t interested in my training endeavours. I’m not getting paid to race. Therefore why would I risk injury ( and injury potential is far greater in those training to race than those running for relaxation and general health)

Chasing after race times and places isn’t the best fit for MY goal of health and longevity. Is training to race good for health? Maybe, to a point…but after that there is an inverse relationship between improved fitness and health, and that tipping point is different for everyone, and we generally only know that we’ve reached it once it’s too late and we’ve crossed it.

Times and racing are fairly modern concepts. Our hunter gatherer ancestors, if they did run much ( and that is still up for debate) didn’t have the concept of a clock, and merely took as long as was necessary to get the job done, while maximising efficiency of effort…as modern hunter gatherers still do.

That says it pretty well I'm 72 and I enjoy it all (mostly) have a few health issues so want to keep going as long as I can. I have always been very competitive but lately I learned to tone that down a little and become a little less focused on hitting a particular pace or time.

I have been a competitive runner going into year 52, consecutively. No breaks, no other hobbies outside of Cycling. 29:30k on track in college. It's definitely more difficult, but would we want it any other way? Still, I run/race because I enjoy it. It's to the point now, where as a retired Senior, I love to travel. Thus, travel to have fun, run races and see old running buddies. I've slowed some, like a 26:50 5k on the roads, but no big deal. Love my Sport and don't plan on quitting anytime soon. They will find me on the running trail like Micah True, as I will not regret a single day of running or racing. Wishing everyone Great Health & Fitness. "Si Se Puede!" 💪🏽

I started running to get healthy a looooong time ago but it quickly turned into something I enjoy and like to do as much as possible. I am competitive with myself and like to see new PRs but I could care less about other people or dumb track events (I am one person who dislikes the attention placed on college athletes on this site - who cares? I'm here for the training advice). I rarely run now and have not done much since Plantar Fasciitis hit me a couple years ago. I cycle several hundred KMs a month now and enjoy it almost as much as running with the exception of the expense of the gear and the maintenance hassles a bike brings.

59 years old, got started in athletics to drop some pounds and discovered that the side effects of endurance sports is far more than physical fitness. These days I run as a self-competitive ultra-distance hobby-jogger, eat what I want and don't worry too much about life (the odds are I'll get hit by a Mack truck anyway), and am far happier because of it.

. The 29:30 was for a 10k on the Track. 🤓

If the goal were "overall fitness" nearly everyone would be better served by lifting a few days a week, running a few days a week (like 20 mpw), and keeping a healthy diet. Most people are going to have some other reason if they're running harder than that, be it time with friends, providing a good aerobic foundation for other activities, or a love of competition.

Up to about age 47, it was purely competitive. Then, I quit for about a year and a half due to injuries. Since hen, it has solely been to keep from getting very fat. I never had much interest in age group awards and would only get an occasional masters win if the 4-5 faster masters did not show. There really wasn't much in the way of competition as almost all of the masters runners back in my day were on pretty different levels from each other. We all knew who was going to place where at every race. My main motivation was PRs and fast times. As age got in the way, I just lost interest. Too much work to try to keep from getting slower every year and a few chronic issues were getting to be a concern (mostly bone spurs in my feet).

Rojo should black page this.

M60, competitive, but I care more about running as fast as I can in my three goal races than about how I stack up against others. One thing that helps keep me motivated is that a half PR is still not out of the question as a goal (didn't finish one until age 52, & set my PR at 56). Have started paying attention to age-graded scores too, so I guess that's comparing myself to others but also against my past self.

Some of the posters have mentioned the social aspect of running. I run alone, but usually in a park that is full of walkers or joggers I know because I've been there several days a week for nine years. That made a big difference during worst stage of the pandemic, as I would get all the outside social interaction I needed just by saying hi to the people I knew.