Running, Competitiveness and Age

I want to address the issue of aging and competitiveness. For the “less than old” runners reading this, read on. “Older” runners may be beating you without you even knowing it! Besides, you’ll be here soon.

Competition itself for most athletes is important. We all have a competitive drive (some more than others). It’s one reason we participate in sports. It isn’t necessarily about winning (though it certainly can be). It is about competition. It is about a sense of achievement and improvement. It is about testing one’s bounds. It does not necessarily diminish with age.As we age an issue we all must face something which is inevitable - a gradual slowing of pace. For some of us the goal is to try to run faster. The reality is we’re simply trying just not to slow down so much. Yet, in our minds, we still think we can run as fast as we once did. Often, reality yields a blow to our motivation. I personally know of a runner who stopped for the very reason of not being as fast as he once was.Wouldn’t it be interesting if the playing field were leveled? It does require a mindset change from the absolute – who goes from point A to point B fastest after the gun goes off – to, who was the “best” runner based on effort or performance by age or gender. Purists will contest that in any race, the first to the finish line is the “best” on that day, on that course, at that distance. Is there an alternative solution? Yes.Enter – Age-Graded Scoring Tables developed by the World Association of Veterans Athletes (WAVA) the world governing body for masters track and field, long distance running, and race walking. Originally developed in 1989 then revised in 1994, these tables are actually quite remarkable. The tables are graded by age and sex and correspond approximately to world record marks for a person of that age and sex. They account for the effects of aging on performance. After testing it for 15+ years and thousands of races and performances, it is a very solid piece of work.

Basically, Age-Graded scoring allows all individuals within a race to be "scored" against each other through a comparison with the "ideal" or best-possible time for that individual's single age and gender. (This is similar to the scoring tables that are established for the decathlon or heptathlon which use a similar standard of world records to establish points.) It is not just for the “older” athlete. The tables work for runners 8-75 year olds.

So, the individual runner with the highest percentage Age-Graded score is, arguably, the "best" runner in the race no matter what actual finish time they may have posted.
These tables were originally developed to:

Correct a person's performance, to what it would have been or will be in the "prime" years.

Provide each individual with a percentage value which enables them to judge their performance in any running event without bias to age or sex. No matter how old a runner gets, the performance percentage will always be judged against the standard for that runner's age.

It’s a great way to compare apples with apples instead of apples with oranges. A 50 year old does not have the spunk in her legs that a 25 year old does. She does not have the same spunk that SHE had when she was 25!

Let’s give an example. In my prime years I could run a 5K in 15:14. Now, in shape, I would feel good to do 16:45. With the tables, I can calculate that my performance for a 48 year old is equivalent to 15:12 in my prime. Or, my prime time was graded at 85.16% and my current time is graded at 85.38%. Interesting, yes? Fun, yes? Motivating, yes!

Go ahead, I know you’re dying to try it out yourself. Here’s the online calculator: http://www.pinebeltpacers.org/AgeGrade/newwava.phpl

Another interesting application is the attribution of achievement levels.
The achievement levels are as follows:
100.0 = World - Record Level
over 90.0 = World Class
over 80.0 = National Class
over 70.0 = Regional Class
over 60.0 = Local Class
*The term “class” means you would be competitive for awards or compete well at that level. Don’t be discouraged if your not there yet. Everyone starts somewhere.

And finally, I want to introduce the next level of use for you to consider. Use tables like these for awards in races. Did you know that there are races that do so around the world? Some use them alone and run it as a handicap race. Others use it for the actual awards in lieu of traditional five-year age groupings. And still others, like the USATF-New Jersey, use both five-year age groupings and supplement awards to age-gradings. Beware, you may see this within the club soon!

There is no panacea. Leveling the competition is debatable. But, isn’t it an interesting alternative to bolster motivation, continue to “improve”, and ultimately to remain competitive?

And if you don’t buy that, fine. I will see you at the starting line. I still have one goal when I toe the line… win! After all, Ican be a purist too!