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Time of India
21-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Alan Poisner surprises world by winning gold at 90 with no coach and no support team
Alan Poisner surprises world by winning gold at 90 with no coach and no support team (Image Via X) At 90, Dr. Alan Poisner still walks in races and wins. He earned a gold medal in the 3,000‑meter walk at the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in March 2025, held in Gainesville, Florida for the 90–94 age group. That same week, he also took part in the 10 K outdoor event, although it was canceled due to lightning. Amazingly, he now walks about 28 miles a week to prepare for the National Senior Games in Des Moines this July. Dr. Alan Poisner sets racewalking records at 90 after winning gold at World Masters Athletics 2025 Alan Poisner has been in competitive racewalking for four decades. He joined the Heartland Racewalkers club in Kansas City at age 50, inspired by Olympian Debbi Lawrence. On March 28, 2025, at the World Masters Indoor Championships in Gainesville, Florida, he walked the 3,000 meters and was the only competitor in his 90–94 age group, earning gold ahead of the silver medalist from the 85–89 group. He also raced a 10 K outdoor walk but heavy rain and lightning cut the event short. Still, this victory adds to a long list: Alan Poisner won state and national senior games races and set age‑group records. Earlier in 2025, he beat other walkers in the Kansas Senior Games' 5K race and set a record in a 1,500 m walk in Topeka. Also Read: UFC Legend Randy Couture Suffers Burn And Trauma Injuries Following NHRA Practice Crash In Kansas City Alan Poisner shares walking tips for seniors and how to stay active and injury free at any age Alan Poisner credits walking for giving him physical and mental benefits. He says walking can improve heart and brain health, connect people socially, and let you enjoy nature. He's walked in many places, including on the Great Wall of China and along Copacabana in Brazil. He keeps things cautious: 'If you don't have much experience, start with something comfortable and increase pace slowly—about 10 percent per week.' He adds: 'You've got to have fun.' He warns against overdoing it: injuries can kill motivation. He emphasizes safe progression: older people can begin with short distances, half a block or a block and build up. Alan Poisner also practices mindful walking; he won't listen to music so he can fully enjoy his surroundings and stay focused on safety. This story shows that age doesn't have to limit you. Dr. Alan Poisner is proof that passion, patience, and smart habits can help you walk competitively even at 90. FAQs old is Alan Poisner and is he still racewalking competitively? Alan Poisner is 90 years old and still competing in racewalking events like the World Masters Athletics and National Senior Games. Alan Poisner win a gold medal in 2025 without a coach or team? Yes, Alan Poisner won gold in the 3000 meter walk at age 90 with no coach or support team at the 2025 World Masters Athletics. tips does Alan Poisner give for older people who want to start walking? Alan Poisner suggests starting slow, increasing pace gradually, and making sure walking stays fun and injury free. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
New York Times
21-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
I'm 90 years old and still walk competitively. You can get hooked, too
Dr. Alan Poisner is a competitive racewalker who has won multiple gold medals at national and international events and set records in his age group. He is also a professor emeritus at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Looking to get out and walk? Try Peak's 7-day walking challenge here. Whenever someone says I'm an old person, I have a rejoinder: I'm not an old person. I'm an older person. Age is all relative. When I started racewalking at the age of 50, there were a couple of guys in my club who were 70. I thought they were ancient. Now I see 70-year-olds and think they're young. As I said, it's all relative. Advertisement When I was 50, my brother told me that someone had come to town to introduce the sport of racewalking. It was Debbi Lawrence, the American woman's representative at the Olympics for racewalking. She and her husband started a walking club in the Kansas City area. I joined the Heartland Racewalkers Club right away and did it just for fun. That was 40 years ago. I was hooked. Everybody thinks I'm a role model because I'm 90, but when I joined the club, it included a woman who started at 75 and was still competing at 95. She's my role model. She lived to 103. I'd only been walking for a couple of years when I entered a 15K that benefited the children's hospital at Duke. That's around nine miles, a little more distance than I was up to at the time. There must have been 900 people in that race, and I was dead last. I got to see the motorcycle come up behind me. That was a lesson in humility. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke's basketball coach, was also in that race. At least I can say I was in a race with him! But I didn't stop. I kept getting faster and began entering local, state and regional competitions. At 58, I was faster than I was at 50. This year, at the age of 90, I won gold in the 3,000-meter walk at the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in Florida (ages 90-94). I'm now doing 28 miles a week in preparation for the National Senior Games in Des Moines, Iowa, in July. I love multiple aspects of walking. It's a form of exercise and can also serve as a social activity. It expanded my friendships. You'll meet men and women of all ages to connect with. One year, I had to go to Seattle and noticed a woman who lived there had been written about in all the racewalking papers. I'd never met her and knew nothing about her other than she was an excellent racewalker. So I wrote to her, out of the blue, and said: 'I'm coming to Seattle. Is there some place I can walk with you?' She agreed and recommended we walk around Green Lake. Advertisement Isn't that great? I've also studied walking and am aware of its scientific benefits. It's good for your heart and brain. However, there are other reasons I continue to like it. Walking outdoors enables you to appreciate the world. I notice animals, plants, trees and all parts of nature. Current studies show that getting away from the hustle and bustle of life can be good for people's brains. My curiosity drives me to explore new neighborhoods. Some people don't understand this and ask me: 'Where are you going to walk today?' Since I'm always looking for new areas to explore, I'll say, 'I'm not sure.' When I go out, I do it on an ad hoc basis. I wait to see what's going on — if there's a car before me, I'll go somewhere else. I've explored almost all the neighborhoods and trails in metropolitan Kansas City. I've been around the block a few times. I have walked in diverse places, such as on the Great Wall of China, around the zoo in Berlin, along Copacabana Beach in Brazil and the Danube in Budapest. All you need is a pair of good shoes. I don't listen to anything when I walk, although many people do. I like to have free-floating thoughts. Other sensations will distract me. In addition to the added safety, I can appreciate my surroundings. A fancy name for it is mindfulness. I don't use that term, but I like to see and experience what's around me. I have only two rules for new walkers starting. The first rule is: Don't hurt yourself. I've seen people go out and overdo it. When you're injured, you lose interest. If you don't have much experience, start with something comfortable and then gradually increase your pace and duration by about 10 percent per week. That's a general rule. If you keep it up for several weeks, soon you'll be doing something twice as much as you used to do. Advertisement Some older people get tired walking around the block once. To deal with that, you can practice going half a block at first, then one block and keep adding blocks (or miles) over time. I did a marathon when I was 66. It just took a long time to train. You can do it. The second rule: You've got to have fun. If you don't hurt yourself and you're having fun, you can do it for the rest of your life. That was also true in my professional life. I was an academic researcher and teacher in medical schools. Because I enjoyed what I was doing, I would often go into my office on Saturdays; I remain engaged in research to this day. I don't get paid, but I love it. Same thing with racewalking. If you're doing something you're passionate about, that's great for you; you can do it for a lifetime. Here's what I want to add: People continue to rediscover truths that have been known for ages. Almost every week, somebody reports on all the benefits of walking. You can go back centuries to see philosophers and creative thinkers who walked. Why were they doing it? They weren't doing it to get into racewalking. However, racewalking has allowed me the additional pleasure of competing with like-minded friends. I'm old enough to have witnessed many changes, but walking remains an eternal truth. Looking to get out and walk? Try Peak's 7-day walking challenge here.
New York Times
21-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Want to get hooked on walking? Try our 7-day challenge
Editor's note: This story is a part of Peak, The Athletic's desk covering leadership, personal development and success through the lens of sports. Follow Peak here. All of us at Peak are walking enthusiasts. My colleague Rustin Dodd just wrote a story centered on MLB manager Bruce Bochy's love of a good walk. As Rustin explained, walking can help us both physically and mentally, perhaps even unlocking creativity. Advertisement So we wanted to try something out that you could do with us: A 7-day Peak walking challenge. The seven-day plan was crafted by race walking guru David McGovern (McGovern's plans are also used by Dr. Alan Poisner, a 90-year-old competitive racewalker who wrote about his love of walking for Peak. Check it out). If you want to come along with us, we really want to hear how it goes — and learn about your own walking routines and ideas. If you have an observation or thought about your experience, or you want to go into detail about what walking means to your life, email me at edevlin@ or drop us a comment below. Now, on to the challenge. The key for the first day is 'easy.' Typically, McGovern said he wouldn't recommend a beginner to immediately go out and walk at a fast pace for an hour. But if you're moving at an easy speed, you should be fine. Another thing you'll want to be mindful of is the time you choose. Make sure it's at some point in your day you'll be able to regularly set aside for walking. Poisner believes heading out for your walk at the same time each day will help make it a habit. Poisner brought up a few studies that proved why walking in nature is scientifically better than walking in a city environment. In a city, you might experience sensory overload. Spending time in nature also lowers cortisol levels, a stress hormone, and even has the potential to reduce anxiety or depression symptoms. 10-minute warmup: Start at your average walking pace and try to increase your pace by 10 percent every minute. One minute fast: Increase your speed to as fast as you can comfortably walk and try to maintain that for the entire minute. One minute recovery: Slow back down to your average pace. This formula is an example of a HIIT workout (high-intensity interval training) and McGovern and Poisner have both relied on it to improve. Interval training is a good way to build your endurance, McGovern said, which makes it easier to sustain a brisk walking pace for longer periods of time. You'll also burn more calories. Advertisement Day two would be a good time for some upbeat music, but it's optional. In fact, Poisner prefers to walk without headphones, and recommends you give it a try too. 'I like to have my own creative thinking,' he told me. 'Creativity comes in when you're just not thinking about anything, and it can just come to you. But if you're being bombarded by some music or something specific, you lose a little bit of that.' McGovern jokingly compared himself to David Puddy in the "Seinfeld" episode where Puddy does nothing on a long plane ride but stares straight ahead. 'I want to be out with my own thoughts,' McGovern said. 'I like to calculate my split times in my head: 'What does my next kilometer need to be to bring my average down to X?'' Day three should be at a faster pace than day one. 'It has to be slow enough where you can continue doing it because if you go so fast that you're exhausted after 10 minutes, that's not really helping you either,' McGovern said. 'You want to pick a moderate intensity where you can get out there and do that for an hour.' To start, that might be somewhere between 15 to 18 minutes per mile. 10-minute warmup: Start at your average walking pace and try to increase your pace by 10 percent every minute. Fast 10 minutes: Increase to a tempo pace, or the fastest speed you can comfortably hold for 10 minutes. 10-minute cool down: Slow back down to your average walking pace. If you haven't already, think about switching your location on day four. Poisner hasn't studied if there are specific benefits to trying new walking routes, but thinks that it's impactful in a lot of ways. 'If you just keep doing the same habit, whatever it is, over and over again, you get good at it, but then you don't have the variety to do other things,' he said. Advertisement It's also a way to help you feel a little more excited to get out there and walk, especially on an interval day like day four. This day is meant for recovery, so McGovern said substituting yoga for your walk works too. Poisner is also an advocate for frequent rest. 'You have to be gradual. That's one of the lessons I give new people: Don't push it,' he said. 'This is something you want to do the rest of your life. If you want a lifetime habit, it has to be something you are enjoying and not doing it as a drudgery workout.' By day six, you might be losing some steam, so it's a great time for a social walk. Having a friend to go on walks with is a good way to hold yourself accountable, McGovern said, while making it a little more interesting. He brought up one woman he's worked with as an example. She wakes up every day at 4:30 a.m. to meet her training partner at 5 a.m. 'If she has a training partner that's going to meet her at 5 a.m. every day, it's more likely in the winter or when it's hot and humid in the summer, she's going to get out there and try with somebody to hold her accountable,' he said. He wishes more people walked in groups. He has found, like Poisner, that it's a way to meet new people. Every week, there should be a day set aside for a longer walk. It's a good opportunity to test your endurance and to mentally check in with yourself. 'If the muscle between your ears is ready to go, you're ready to go,' McGovern said. When I spoke to Poisner, he had walked 5.7 miles the day before. He held a 15-minute-per-mile pace, which he called 'brisk walking' for younger people. The hardest part is usually finding the motivation to do it. Once you're out there, it becomes a little easier to lean into it and enjoy what you're doing. After all, that's part of this challenge. (Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic)
