Just because you have become a senior citizen does not mean that you have to stop competing in track and field events, as many different options exist for those in this age group. Organizers will break most of these events down into smaller age categories, so that you will never compete against a far younger individual. That way, these events remain competitive and fun for everyone who participates.
Age Groups
Only those over 55 years of age can participate in senior events, although different age groups exist within the senior division. The BC Senior Games Society implemented 55 to 59, 60 to 64, 65 to 69, 70 to 74, 75 to 79, 80 to 84, 85 to 89 and 90+ age groups to keep the competition fair. Other organizing bodies might use different age divisions, depending on what the organizers deem reasonable.
Track Events
Track events require the participant to run for a predetermined distance, while competing against other runners. According to the BC Senior Games Society, races can go anywhere from 100 meters up to 5000 meters on the track. Relay races also exist, with legs ranging from 100 meters to 800 meters for each participant and hurdle events call for participants to jump over hurdles as they run.
Field Events
Field events remain popular because the competitor does not have to run a long distance to compete. USA Masters Track and Field reports that seniors can participate in pole vault, triple jump, long jump and high jump as part of a senior's competition. It also suggests that interested seniors attend classes, camps and summits, as this will help them to improve their skills in these field events.
Throwing Events
When participating in throwing events, you must learn about the weights used by each age group. For example, the BC Senior Games Society uses a discus between one and a half kilograms and 750 grams, a shot or hammer between six kilograms and 2 kilograms and a javelin between 700 and 400 grams, depending on the gender and age of the participants. Younger males will use heavier weights, while older males and females use lighter weights for these events.
Combined Events
In traditional track competitions, some of the more exciting events are the pentathlon, the heptathlon and the decathlon. According to USA Masters Track and Field, each of these combined events includes a variety of individual track, field and throwing events, depending on the grouping and whether the event is indoors or outdoors.Organizers will break these events into age brackets, as older ages will use lighter weights for throwing events and lower hurdles for hurdle events.
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