Age-Group Challenge
Workout - Age-Group Challenge
- 10min @ 6'30''/km
- 400m @ 5'53''/km
- 2min 30s rest
- 400m @ 4'45''/km
- 2min 30s rest
- 400m @ 4'05''/km
- 2min 30s rest
- 400m @ 3'15''/km
- 2min 30s rest
- 400m @ 2'53''/km
- 2min 30s rest
- 400m @ 2'40''/km
- 2min 30s rest
- 7min @ 6'45''/km
to import the workout after you install it.
Intro
Mark Lewis’s “Can I Beat The World’s Fastest Old People?” sets up an interesting challenge you can adapt. We’ve laid out the workout structure here so you can give it a try today.
Key points
- Race age-group world records as benchmarks. Mark uses British Masters 400 m record times across age brackets and tries to beat them.
- Build progressively downward: start with the oldest category (95 yr) and move toward younger ones, testing your speed at each tier.
- Pace by the halfway mark: target a specific 200 m split that keeps you on for the full 400 m time.
- Structure it as sprint work: warm up, push hard for a single lap, recover briefly, then move to the next age group.
Workout example
-
Warm-up: 5-10 min easy jog and dynamic drills.
-
400 m attempts: pick an age-group record and run the lap trying to match or beat it. Benchmarks (each is one 400 m lap):
Age Group Target 400 m Time Approx. Pace 95 yr 2:21 5:41 min/km (9:10 mi) 90 yr 1:54 4:45 min/km (7:38 mi) 86 yr 1:38 4:12 min/km (6:45 mi) 80 yr 1:18 3:45 min/km (6:03 mi) 75 yr 1:09 3:30 min/km (5:38 mi) 70 yr 1:04 3:22 min/km (5:24 mi) -
Execution: hit your 200 m split at roughly half the target time (e.g. 30 s for a 1:00 goal), then drive the second half hard.
-
Recovery: walk or jog 2-3 min between attempts, then move to the next bracket.
-
Cool-down: 5 min easy jog and stretch.
Closing note
Try this age-group sprint ladder and see which record you can hit. The Pacing app lets you enter your target 400 m time and get the splits instantly. Watch the original Mark Lewis video for the full story.
References
- Can I Beat The World’s Fastest Old People? - YouTube (YouTube Video)