Age-defying Athletes run Boston

Here are a few fun factoids about this venerable competition:

Monday April 21 is the date of the 2025 Boston Marathon.

Held in Boston since 1897, it is the oldest annual marathon in the world.

This year, the 26.2 mile course will welcome about 60,000 feet and wheels, as 30,000 participants (on foot or in manually-powered wheeled vehicles) are expected to cover the route.

Approximately 24,069 of those 30K qualified via a maximum time at an earlier event (such as – ha! – Grandma’s Marathon - really). The remainder participate through the race’s charity program.

The oldest accepted runner in 2025 will be 83 years old.

This year, the qualifying times for the 80 and over age group are 4 hours, 50 minutes, zero seconds for men, and 5 hours, 20 minutes, and zero seconds for women.

Roughly, these Age-defying Athletes must cover 5+ miles per hour non-stop for approximately five hours – equating to maintaining more or less 12-minute miles for the duration.

Last year, 82-year-old Carol Wright, of Sandstone, Idaho, handily captured the Boston Marathon’s 80-plus women’s age division.

For the overall race, the oldest winner captured that crown almost 100 years ago

Incredibly, with all the supposed advances in training, nutrition, shoes, and more, the record for the most senior winner goes to Clarence DeMar, who captured his final title in 1930, when he was 41 years old.

DeMar had quite a run (as it were), finishing first seven times.

But someone over twice the age of Clarence was the oldest woman to ever complete the race. That honor goes to Katherine Beiers, who, at 85, finished the 2018 Boston Marathon.

WIIFY?

Marathoning is decidedly an endurance sport – for runners of all ages.

Endurance is a wise thing to develop. After all, longevity could be defined as endurance for life.

And, of course, endurance can be nurtured through any sport. One need not set off for 26.2 miles of continuous foot following foot. Rather, simply enduring the ups and downs of a tennis game, or the diabolical plot twists of golf, not to mention the elation/depression cycle of just a single pickleball game can build endurance - mentally and physically.

The brilliance of sport comes from doing it again and again and again…ignoring bad days, “advice” from General Culture, and even (but focus carefully) injuries.

Idahoan Carol Wright may excel at the Boston Marathon, but the Age-defying Athlete who grits his or her teeth and jumps into a swim meet or bicycle distance ride or the friendly game of squash also excels.

So, claim your medals, virtual though they may be, for simply getting out there and hanging tough!