By Andrew Walker, MPH; NSGA Director of Health & Well-Being
A runner poses with supporters after a road race at the 2023 National Senior Games presented by Humana.
Something new is coming to the National Senior Games! The Mile for the Ages will debut on Friday, July 25, 2025, at the Iowa State Capitol Grounds as part of the 2025 National Senior Games presented by Humana.
This age-friendly, intergenerational event invites athletes, friends, family, and Iowans alike to move your way. Whether you choose to run, jog, power walk, race walk, urban pole, or simply stroll, this open, “all-comers” event encourages all to experience the joy and wonder of active aging.
The event will occur immediately before the National Senior Games Flame Arrival Ceremony, so stick around after the race for the excitement of lighting the ceremonial cauldron!
- All Ages and Abilities Community Division – for movers of all kinds.
- National Senior Games Division – for medal-seeking competitors ages 50+ by Dec. 31, 2024.
*Online registration for this event closes July 1.
Show Up for Active Aging
Not going for a medal? No problem! Show up for health, connection and fun. Movement is medicine, promoting well-being at any level of intensity.
If you’re already planning to attend the National Senior Games on July 25, take the “path of least participation resistance”: move your way, celebrate your effort and complete the NSGA’s first-ever Mile for the Ages.
Words of Wisdom from a Trailblazer
Kathrine Switzer prepares to light the cauldron at the 2022 National Senior Games presented by Humana.
National Senior Games friend and running legend Kathrine Switzer—the first woman to officially register and run the Boston Marathon in 1967—recently shared this advice on trying something new:
“The secret to starting an activity is to show up. Just signing up for a few events and then showing up will open a whole new world of friends and fun—and will really spark your imagination.”
We’re proud that women and men participate in the National Senior Games at near-equal levels, and we look forward to a strong turnout of female runners in Iowa.
Prep for the Mile for the Ages
Even if you’ve never participated in a one-mile road race, you still have plenty of time to prepare. With three months until race day, you can be ready to confidently run, walk or roll and earn your t-shirt.
As long as your health permits, the Miles for the Ages provides a low-key, fun opportunity to show up and try jogging and running for well-being. Here is an effective approach based on insight I gained from Roy Benson, my former track coach at University of Florida.
- Beginners with the goal of jogging one mile should start your training by being able to walk one mile nonstop.
- Next, progress to a jog-walk, where you jog until your breathing is at a level where you start to huff and puff, but you are not fully out of breath. Let your breathing return to normal, then start jogging again, repeating the pattern until you gradually and easily can complete a one-mile jog.
- Once you are able to complete one mile at a jog, start jogging the mile every other day, alternating walking one mile the next day.
- A detailed, comprehensive training method can be found at RunnersWorld.com.
Lastly, refer to the previous month’s health and well-being article, “Train Smart for National Senior Games Open Sports,” to learn how to round out your program by including smart training elements, corrective exercise, and strength and mobility training.
