23 years ago I was going on 40 later that year and racing a quite a bit. My wife and I went on 10K vacation/race in Ontario (a little north of Niagara Falls, New York).
I was in okay shape given my age and heavy work schedule and lack of running genetic talent, but I figured I could do 'okay'. I didn't see anyone around the starting line that looked to be 'older' that I couldn't hang with.
About a mile into the race this really 'old' skinny guy with a shock of white hair just blows by me. I thought, not a big deal he'll be back - just stick to my plan - I am at less than 5:45/mile. Just keep 'em even. Nope, the guy just gradually pulled away and out of sight. I faded a little in the heat, but still managed what was for me a 'respectful' effort. That older guy finished about 45 seconds ahead of me.
At the awards presentation they announced his time and age: "64". My mouth fell open a little and I just shook my head - completely dumbfounded. Now to make matters worse (at least from my perspective at the time) my normally supportive spouse, who herself had just run a pretty decent race herself, looked at me and said "I thought you said you did okay? And that guy beat you?" Now I am both confused and 'humbled'. Maybe I shouldn't plan on racing after 40 after all.
It wasn't until many many years later that I eventually 'figured out' who that elderly guy was. It turns out he had retired a few years earlier and had recently taken up running again. At this time, he was not a household name - but beginning at age 65 until his passing in 2017, and over the next 20 years, he would go on to set more than 25 indoor and outdoor age-group world records - from the 1,500 meter to the marathon - with times like a 2:54 marathon at age 70. To those now in their teens and 20s and are still cracking 'youthful' times, that is like running a 2:07:00.
His effort that warm summer 10K day I would later determine was around a staggering 95+% age graded performance. Equal to somewhere an an open age 28:00 His name was Ed Whitlock.
I am now 63 and too am retired from work, but am still running and racing pretty hard. I am not fast (never ever was) but comparatively faster - at least according to the World Master's age grading calculator- than I ran in my 20s and 30s. And I still get a chuckle out of occasionally finishing in the top three to five in local 5ks and on a very rare occasion actually winning a really tiny race. Still once in while someone will ask me, 'How OLD are you, anyway?' I tell them, but often add; 'Look up the name Ed Whitlock when you get home. ' He was amazing.
If you don't know who Ed Whitlock was, maybe take a minute read a bit about him. Pretty darn impressive at least IMO.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Whitlock