ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Masters athletics

Have you ever watched a race on TV and seen some very fast runners who are all grown-ups? Well, some of those runners might actually be quite old! In fact, there are special races just for older people who still love to run and compete, and those races are called "masters athletics."

When you're a grown-up, you might still like to do sports and exercise to stay healthy and happy. And even when you're very old, you might still love to move around and run. Masters athletics gives older people a chance to compete against others their own age and show off their skills.

There are different age categories in masters athletics, based on how old you are. For example, there might be a race just for people who are between 50 and 59 years old, and another race for people who are between 60 and 69 years old. That way, everyone gets to compete against others who are around their same age and have similar abilities.

Like any other race, masters athletics involves different types of running events, such as sprints, relays, and long-distance races. People who participate in masters athletics train and work hard to get their bodies ready for the races, just like athletes of any age.

So, whether you're young or old, running can be a fun and healthy way to move your body and compete against others. Masters athletics just gives older people a special chance to show that they can still be very speedy and strong!