Given the amount of pb's still being run by so many veteran runners, it would seem that a reasonable percentage are relatively new to running. Have any vets here competed in every age-group from under 11 boys/girls?

I'd think it unlikely to be honest. In my experience there's not a lot of people who run at U11 age and continue on through their teens into young adulthood, let alone from U11 to Veteran age!

I ran a fair amount as a youngster (age 8/9-11/12) but then didn't do anything during secondary school, it's only now (well 2 years ago) that I've started running again. Shame really because I'm sure my times would be a darn sight better if I hadn't taken that break in the middle - I used to be skinny as anything too!

I really wish I had started much sooner than I did, I'm 37 and have only been running for a couple of years.

But the fact you have left it later doesn't that mean your muscles are fresher than someone who has been running for yonks, which means you should be able to do well? or am I talking complete and utter twaddle...

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Bird in Boots

I can relate to what your saying TT, most sports especially those like running and even swimming have wear tear on the body.
I wish i had kept running from the age of 11 but didn't and it makes you wonder if you would have been a better runner. It would come down to the particular person i think.Injuries occurred over time etc would determine if someone would beable to keep running through out there life.

Most people who are the best at a particular sport seem to have started at an alarmingly young age. I guess with running you peak later, late 20's early 30's, and most who start young burn out or pick up injuries by then. Apparently Gebreselassie started young, did Paula Radcliffe?

I find it hilarious that I was horrendous, useless at sport when I was young, but can likely out-run my old sports teacher now

Yeah Paula Radcliffe started at a young age, As did Kelly Holmes (I think!) read both their autobiographies - Makes you really wanna get out the door and train hard

To answer Pedestrian first,I have had a fair wack since age 15 school races to present age 73 veterans group.
Granty,if you train proper like you can look forward to good REAL veteran(o/40) times.
My experience has been that blokes/lasses who start early,say <20yrs old can produce
good times in early veteran years,but those who start later,30-40yrs say,can produce better times as they age into the later veteran age groups.I think it is a case of wear and tear(both physical and mental) over more years.There are exceptions to that rule but not many I think.

Yes, I'd agree with what you've said there, Oz. I've come across plenty of people over the years who'd fall into either of the general categories that you've described.

I'd also back-up what you've said regarding "physical and mental" wear and tear on ageing runners. These days, I'm finding it hard to accept the fact that no matter how hard I train; I'm only ever going to get slower! ... something which goes against the general principal of "training" in the first place. Also, since turning 40 (just over 4 years ago), I've had to deal with the worst injuries that I've ever sustained since my running "career" started over 30 years ago. It seems to take longer to recover from each one of these set-backs, and I never quite get back to my previous level of ability. I've always (so far) managed (eventually) to claw my way back to being very fit; but I'm never quite as fast as I was prior to each injury... although I never stop trying to get there!

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I RUN, THEREFORE I AM

(When I don't run, I'm NOT)

Hi Pedestrian,it is great that you are still trying to get back to faster times.Like you it took me a few years to reconcile the fact that I would never race as fast again as in my younger days.
The only way to approach your race time performances as you age is to concentrate on your age group(5yr group) peer performance.This gives you a much truer measure of your performance than trying to compare your earlier age performances with your veteran ones.
When fit,I found in my age groups that I was just about the same time/distance behind the best in the world for my age as I was as a young man.
The wonderful thing about racing at any age is that you enjoy/endure the same physiological/phsycological moments in the race.No matter how slow you are racing,it still "feels " the same.You have many more years to enjoy those "feelings",I envy you
your relative youth.