Post by Tim Wescott on Feb 23, 2004 22:58:13 GMT -5
Can You Run a 7-Minute Mile? These 72-Year-Olds Can
At an age when many of their friends are using walkers or wheelchairs to get around, Dick Wilson, a 72-year-old man from Kansas, and Paul Heitzman, also 72, are doing just the opposite.
Both men are two of the top age-group runners in the country. They are running close to a seven-minute mile pace at distances up to a half-marathon, putting them near the front of most of the races they participate in. In 2003, Running Times magazine ranked Heitzman No. 1 and Wilson second in the nation in the 70 to 74 age group for their achievements in 2002.
Heitzman, who is a retired high-school teacher, began running right before his 60th birthday. He wanted to stay in shape, so he took up running as a hobby. Since then he’s been named the 2002 Outstanding Long-distance Runner for his age group by USA Track & Field and the 2002 Outstanding Track Runner also for his age group.
Wilson, a member of his college’s cross-country team in 1954, resumed running in 1978. Over the years, Wilson’s achievements include winning several age-group national championships at distances ranging from the mile to the half-marathon.
At an age when many of their friends are using walkers or wheelchairs to get around, Dick Wilson, a 72-year-old man from Kansas, and Paul Heitzman, also 72, are doing just the opposite.
Both men are two of the top age-group runners in the country. They are running close to a seven-minute mile pace at distances up to a half-marathon, putting them near the front of most of the races they participate in. In 2003, Running Times magazine ranked Heitzman No. 1 and Wilson second in the nation in the 70 to 74 age group for their achievements in 2002.
Heitzman, who is a retired high-school teacher, began running right before his 60th birthday. He wanted to stay in shape, so he took up running as a hobby. Since then he’s been named the 2002 Outstanding Long-distance Runner for his age group by USA Track & Field and the 2002 Outstanding Track Runner also for his age group.
Wilson, a member of his college’s cross-country team in 1954, resumed running in 1978. Over the years, Wilson’s achievements include winning several age-group national championships at distances ranging from the mile to the half-marathon.