Sierra Blogging Post Archives

Ed Maruna isn't spending his golden years lounging around. Maruna, who just turned 80-years-old, is training almost every day of the week for his newly discovered passion - racing in duathlons.

Maruna ran and rode in the world duathlon trials when he was 76-years-old after his son, a duathlete and triathlete coach in Boulder, CO, persuaded him to give it a whirl. Maruna finished 6th in his age group and quickly became hooked on the sport which involves running, biking and running some more.


"I was happy to be there, happy to represent the United States," said Maruna, an Arvada grandfather who won the national title that year in his age group, 75 to 79. "I was just happy to finish."

Maruna now trains six days a week and spends his recovery day hiking with friends, some of whom marvel at his energy and stamina. "Friends think I've lost my mind," Maruna says cheerfully. "They tell me, 'I know the first thing that's gone in your old age. It's your brain.' But they're just joking. They're supportive."

So what's a training schedule like for an 80-year-old duathlete? Short answer: pretty intense. Long answer: he bikes for two hours on Tuesday, runs 6-9 miles on Wednesday, rides for 90 minutes on Thursday, does speedwork and intervals on Friday, bikes for two hours on Saturday and runs another 6-9 miles on Sunday. In the summer, he competes in two duathlons a month.

"It's inspiring that he's competing and racing around the world at age 80," says duathlon coach Eric Schwartz, who has watched Maruna race. "There are a few guys racing at his age, and they all seem to be having a great time."

Just goes to show that you're never too old to take up a new sport - and that staying active keeps you feeling young. For more on Maruna's training schedule and interval training, check out the article in the Denver Post.