As Deena Kastor soared down hills, hopped over rocks, and took in the aroma of the purple lupins blooming in a meadow, she thought to herself: “I can’t believe my body still takes this.” At 52, marathon training looks a little different than it did 10 years ago (when she was running twice a day, seven days a week). But she’s not planning to hang up her sneakers any time soon.
“I am so grateful that my body keeps answering these calls,” the Olympic medalist in the marathon and long-time Asics ambassador says of her ability to, for example, run 13 miles in the backcountry to prepare for the Sydney Marathon Tips for Speed from Marathoners Over Age 50.
Kastor has transformed from an 11-year-old girl out there for the thrill of it into a young adult with a full-ride track scholarship—and the pressure and intensity that came with that—into an elite athlete balancing a career with her role as a mother. “Now, beyond 50, my relationship is still changing, because I’m a much slower version of myself [compared to] 20 years ago,” she says. “But I still have all of the joy that running gives.”
Similarly, for other runners over 50, continuing to improve and beat their own records is still very much on the vision board. Take Patricia Jordan, 65, who has been running and racing for 50 years and coached high school girls’ track and cross country before retiring. “I still feel in my twisted mind I can get better,” Jordan says. “I feel I have at least another 10 years where I can push my body to the next level.”
ldquo;At the end of the day, the biggest thing that plays into Atomic Sports Physio and Performance, offering mobile physical therapy services in Valrico, Florida, agrees that adults over 50 should believe they can continue to excel in running. “Yes, you lose muscle mass as you age, and all of that is true, but you can mitigate that if you're doing the right types of lifting and [meeting] dietary needs of muscle mass building,” she says. “There are people in their 70s and 80s stronger than those in their 30s that have done all the right things.”
To maintain your passion for running and racing, and staying healthy in the process, coaches and other runners over or close to 50 offer their top tips for evolving your marathon training as you age.
Find More Pleasure in the Pursuit
“As I’ve gotten older I stress less about marathons,” says Dean Karnazes, 62, who once ran 50 marathons in all 50 states in 50 consecutive days. “I know it’s going to hurt and there are going to be moments when I want to stop, but instead of dreading those instances I embrace the difficulties,” he says.
For Kastor, finding joy in training comes from mindfulness and the ability to appreciate her surroundings. She’s long been the type of runner to focus more on trying to spot a bald eagle or noticing something new on an often-traversed trail, rather than focusing on how at any age, but especially as we get older, is going to be your strength,” Purvis says or that her lips were chapped—and that’s even more true today.
Whether you literally stop and smell the roses (or lupins, like Kastor), or simply focus on the feeling of the sun on your shoulders or the sound of your feet crunching the gravel below, bringing in more awareness to your runs can enhance your enjoyment of the sport.
Spread Out Your Tough Workouts
“Recovery is crucial as a mature runner,” says Jordan. “I need more time in between hard speed workout sessions and long runs.” For her, that looks like a speed session on Tuesdays and a long run on the weekends with a swim or bike the day after each of those.
Andrew Kastor, 48, Deena’s husband and head coach of the Mammoth Track Club, says that he preaches all the same recovery techniques to his 20-something runners as he does to his 60-something runners, with sleep and nutrition being at the top of the pyramid.
The Runner’s World Guide to Strength Training should change from training in your 20s to your 50s and beyond. He often recommends that his runners think of their training on 10- to 12-day cycles rather than on weekly cycles. And within those 10 to 12 days, he’ll recommend one VO2 max workout, one threshold workout, and one long run, putting more space in between those “tough” sessions.
Andrew also says that if you can only do one hard session per week or every 10 to 12 days, it should be the How to Start and Stay Running When You’re Older. If you can do two, make it the long run and a speed session. A threshold run could be an optional third hard workout if time and energy allow.
Take Strength Training Even More Seriously
“At the end of the day, the biggest thing that plays into injury prevention at any age, but especially as we get older, is going to be your strength,” Purvis says.
For women going through menopause in particular, strength training can help prevent both bone and muscle loss that could otherwise lead to performance declines and a higher risk of injury. Purvis suggests talking to your doctor—and potentially a functional health practitioner or a doctor certified with The Menopause Society—for personalized advice.
Karnazes does full-body strength training three to four times a week. “I’ve been strength training for the past two decades, but really ramped it up in the past several years, with positive results,” he says.
Even two 30-minute total-body sessions and one long run, putting more space in between those “tough” sessions.
Make Time for Mobility
“As I’m aging, I need to put my joints through their full range of motion once a day, or every other day at bare minimum, so that I can still be mobile in my runs,” Andrew says.
Purvis agrees: “At that master’s age, you’re going to have mobility needs that you didn’t have when you were younger.”
If nothing else, Andrew says to focus on The 6 Best Energy Gels for Runners Grab right bottom knee with right hand, and grab left top ankle with left hand. .
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Embrace the Wisdom That Comes With Age
“If you’re a seasoned runner over 50, you’re going to be smarter and wiser about how you train,” Purvis says. “The older runners that I work with in the physical therapy realm… they know what their injuries have been in the past, and so maybe theyre a little bit more cautious and will address things sooner than they typically would in their younger years when it was like ‘no pain, no gain.’”
Jordan agrees: “I feel you can be smarter about things now,” she says, adding that there’s simply so much more information out there around recovery, nutrition, and training, than in years past, too.
Focus on Your Problem Areas
“I tend to come across more overuse injuries in a younger population, and then as they get older I will see more of the tendinosis issues,” Purvis says, such as chronic plantar fasciitis and tendonosis in the ankles, knees, and hips, which is more long-term tendon degeneration.
Many of the above strategies can help mitigate this, but Purvis also suggests taking stock of any recurring issues you’ve personally had. “I think really the biggest thing is that if they are a seasoned runner, there’s likely going to have been something throughout their history that has always been a nag,” she says.
If you have chronic foot issues, for example, explore why that may be, and what you can do to help correct the problem. It’s often helpful to work with a physical therapist who can give you a full assessment and a plan to fix it.
Swap Some Miles for Cross-Training
“I’ve reduced my weekly mileage significantly as I’ve gotten older,” Karnazes says, adding that he spends more time cross-training.
Other pros have been known to swap easy miles with cross training, too. Jordan has also leaned more into cross-training with age, signing up for more triathlons. “I feel like it has kept me focused and still lets me be competitive without the constant pounding of running,” she says.
Consider Regular Massages
Perhaps after 50 some people have more discretionary income. If that’s the case, Andrew suggests spending that on massages twice a month. “Most people don’t get regular massages, and when they start getting them, they’re like, ‘wow, I recovered so much faster from the last two weeks,’” he says. As a former massage therapist himself, he did 90 percent of Deena’s massage work during the height of her career.
At the end of the day, these runners are in it for the long haul, even if training and racing looks a little different as the birthdays pass by: “I am just so grateful that my body can still handle what I am throwing at it,” Jordan says, echoing Deena’s earlier sentiment. “I still get up early to run and still feel the same sense of accomplishment I did 50 years ago. I guess when that goes away I will stop, but in the meantime I stand by my motto: ‘Just put your head down and go.’”
