Ever since 1985, the Penn Relays have pitted the fastest athletes of all ages against one another. As the oldest and largest track and field competition in the U.S., held every year at the University of Pennsylvania, over 100,000 spectators gather over the course of the three-day event.
At last year’s race, filmmaker Jessie Beers-Altman, brought her camera with one mission in mind: to capture the essence of the over 75 men’s 100-meter dash.
She released a short film on the race called Going the Distance.
As can be seen below (in the full feature), 85-year-old Betty Leander, became the first woman to compete in that division of the men’s race.
“I was anticipating the masters racers would all be former runners,” Beers-Altman told Runners World Magazine. “To my surprise, all three people in the film picked up running in their 70s and 80s. I couldn’t believe they were picking up a new skill—one that you wouldn’t think people that age would have the gumption to do.”
Watching this will give anyone the motivation to get out there and try something new.
