The Ultimate Age Group
by Norm Wyner

 It is hard for me to accept the fact that I am now 70 years old. Since there are no tangible benefits to reaching this milestone, I found comfort in contemplating the fact that I have entered a new age group. On the downside is the fact that I have virtually quit running and employ walking and kayaking for exercise.

 My wife, Elfrieda, decided that since she had already registered me for River Run (we have to keep the streak alive), it would be good for me to prepare by running the Pirates on the Run 10K in Fernandina Beach on Feb. 21.

 When we arrived for the race, I was hopefully expectant since the field wasn't too big, around 150 entrants. Perhaps I would be the only one in my age group. John TenBroeck, who was handling race registration and results, advised me that there was a 79-year-old gentleman who would be running.

 When we lined up at the start, I spotted my presumed competition and noticed that he appeared fairly fit. I stayed behind him for a while, thinking that it would be a good idea to see how I felt after a mile or two. But my old confidence came back and I passed him early on.

 On the return leg from the beach and heading east back toward the downtown area, we encountered a steady headwind. I tucked in behind a younger man running with his daughter. It seemed that this bothered him so I said, "I'm 70 years old and I need all the help I can get." This got the hoped-for sympathy and he allowed me to follow in his wake.

 I was happy to be able to finish without stopping to walk, albeit at 10-minutes-per-mile pace. Frieda came back on the course to see if I was still alive as I neared the finish.

 Most runners assumed that the usual format of five-year age groups with three deep for awards would be followed, but instead there were 10-year age groups with only the winner receiving a medal. When John TenBroeck got to the final men's age group, it was announced as 60-99 years old. I guess since the computer field for age has only two digits, 99 was as high as it could go. In any event, I won the oldest possible age group, which means that as far as that system is concerned, I can't go any higher.

 Frieda also won her age group, much to everyone's surprise. I think the last time we both came in first in our age groups was in 1994 at the Hastings Potato and Cabbage Festival  run when we went home with two 50-pound bags of potatoes.

 Those were the Glory Days.

 Norm and Frieda are the only married couple to have completed every Gate River Run.