How Long Have You Been a Runner?

28yrs for me. I'm 40 now. Alberto S. got me pumped into running after I saw him on the cover of Runners World.

Am I crazy to admit that?

Just about the same for me. 40 years old and about 28 years. Alberto got me pumped too. I still have a 26 year old pair of red, white, and blue Nike American Eagles stuffed away in a box somewhere.

I'll hit 30 years in March.

I have been a runner for 18 years. I started at age 13 when I discovered how much I sucked at baseball.

As a 9 year old I would occassionally go out and run a mile after being inspired by Dave Wottle's win in the '72 Olympics. But I didn't really start training like a runner until my freshman year of high school in 1978. So I guess I've been going at it for 30 years. The sad thing is I ran my last PR 17 years ago. Man I feel old.

I ran my last PR in 2001.

I started racing in April of 1964, so I'm a little past 44 years into my running/racing life. Peter Snell was my first inspiration (during grade school) followed by Jim Ryun (in Jr High).

26 years for me this past February.

Best friend at the time was signed up to run the Run Between the States (Oregon-Washington) 12K. I said I could do that and he said I couldn't and even if I did I would not break 8 minutes a mile average. Trained for 2 months and finished it and broke 8 minutes per mile.

Today I'm one of the top masters runners here in Oregon and my friend? Last I heard - and this was 10 years ago - he was a make dancer (this Chippendale) in Japan.

Blowing Rock Master wrote:

The sad thing is I ran my last PR 17 years ago. Man I feel old.

Yes. My marathon PR is 2:36 set when I was 25 and there's no way I'd be able to get that time anymore. A wife and two kids put me into more of a 3:15 typeset! Getting old is right! Arrrgggghh! ;)

In that regard I am lucky. Although I ran for years, I didn't even start doing marathons until I was 34. So while I'll probably never do the best I could ever have done, I still have a shot at least at a PR for THAT distance.

First race in 1960.

Still running road races up to & including Marathons.

If your marathon PR is far behind you and you have years of miles in your legs why wouldn't you try moving up in distance to 50mi or 100mi. In those types of races age (older the better) seems to play a large factor.

drsmrtypnts wrote:

If your marathon PR is far behind you and you have years of miles in your legs why wouldn't you try moving up in distance to 50mi or 100mi. In those types of races age (older the better) seems to play a large factor.

Actually you are right about that! I've discovered some positive results running the ultra distance above the 26.2m threshold. I was fortunate enough to place 5th overall in a 30mile ultra just last year. So I guess the ultra distance IS, as you say, better for the older folks. By the way, thanks for placing me among the ranks of the "far behind" group!

- 29 for me though not competing for the last few

- ran 1.59 for 800m at age 15 and 3.43 for 1500 at 35

39 years this month. Unbelievable when I reflect on it.

Approximately 34 years of "year around" training. More years if you count the race I won in first grade, or "on season" running (no training off season) in Jr. High. Started year-around training upon entering H.S. in 1974. I don't even want to think about my "last" PR. Now, when I race, I just hope to be faster than the year before (or, of course - win, place or show).

29 years. 44 years old

Forty-two years old, 35 years running. It's been great.

8 years. started when I was 10 in the AAU now i'm in college and still going strong!