Master's Running
I run. I hit the road in the fall of 1975 at the age of 19, I havent stopped since. Not quite as bad as Forest Gump but I havent missed many days in the last 30 years. I am not alone out there. The 40 to 55 year age group has more runners than any other. They call us Masters Runners, which is a nice way of saying old runners. Masters running is not a term saved for the elite older runner. Fast or slow, you are a still a masters runner.
Like golf, distance running is a sport where age is not much of a factor in performance before the age of 40. In fact, at the marathon distance, experience can be quite an advantage. I can remember watching Portugals Carlos Lopes win marathon Olympic gold in the 1984 LA games running 2:09:21 at the age of 37. At the time I thought Lopes was ancient but I also remember thinking I had another 10 years to train hard and improve my times. It was quite a motivating revelation. Another inspiring statistic for the aging, serious runner is that the majority of runners that make the US Olympic marathon team are over 30.
Race Lawsuit - Court says runner can sue race host. Drink shortage may have led to brain injury.
Welcome to my world! As an extreme race director I try to keep abreast of lawsuits involving events. The above headline is taken from The San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday, May 8, 2002. The article is quoted below.
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer " A runner who collapses because race organizers failed to set out enough drinks along the course has grounds for a lawsuit, a state appellate court ruled Tuesday. An organization that stages a marathon "Has a duty to organize and conduct a reasonably safe event, which requires it to minimize the risks without altering the nature of the sport," said the Court of Appeal in San Diego. That includes providing adequate water and electrolyte fluids along the 26- mile course, the court said."
The runner involved ran the inaugural Rock & Roll Marathon in San Diego. Later that day the man had a seizure from low sodium, a condition called hyponatremia.