There seems to be a lot more use of the americanism 'masters' these days over 'veterans'. I'm not keen on being old but think veterans is a much clearer definition of the category.

i agree with you. master implies being an expert whereas we are just older and in my case not wiser. master smacks of superiority and smugness. i prefer the term that we tend to use amongst our local vet community of "old git."

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it's not how fast, it's how often

It does appear a elitist to new runners and I'm sure that's not the intention.

It brings us in line with other sports. The general public's view the term 'vets' is of OAPs in retirement homes. I agree with the idea of broadcasting the notion we are not past it. Any BBC TV coverage of 'vets' events consists of a 90 yr old doing the hurdles and coming a cropper somewhere during the race. It's partly a matter of gaining respect.

Not sure, but it looks as though you only have to be over 35 to be classed as Veteran (female).. could that be true? Anyway, I am but a mere Beginner (false beginner admittedly - I do seem to have lost 20 years of training along the way...)

and yet, at 40, I'm a Veteran to boot....
but alas its good to still be a Junior on the Runners forum ...

Having read through some of my recent posts without the aid of a bottle of wine, I realise that I have turned into Victor Meldrew

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It's about getting out there and doing the distance, time doesn't matter apart from making it.

Surely you're not that bad are you Scr8pe

Maybe they use Masters in the US, rather than veterans, because vets has a military connotation in the US. If they advertised vet races in the US, people might assume that it was only for old, crazy eyed vietnam veterans still living the Vietnam war.

My thoughts exactly JBB!

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www.richardsimkiss.co.uk - 'Stratford Summer Six' Race Report Added

may be not, but I spend more ime than ever biting my tongue!

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It's about getting out there and doing the distance, time doesn't matter apart from making it.

Both are odd terms; "master" implies we have mastered running "veteran" suggests we lived through some traumatic race or other and survived :eek: Neither fits for someone who just happens to be >35 when they take up running

But then, can anyone think of a term which means "kind of old" but does not sound horrible?

Seasoned?

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www.richardsimkiss.co.uk - 'Stratford Summer Six' Race Report Added