I'm 60 and the sad thing is I probably couldn't run 40 yards at high speed. For now I can hold my own on a bike with youngsters who are very fleet, but for some reason the muscles that let you sprint are gone.I'm curious what everyone else's thoughts on this matter are? I'd love to hear that some 60 year old guy can run a 6 or maybe 5.5 second 40? Maybe we should all try and post our times? Leave me out, one if my legs might fall off.

I was a pretty good runner in my Army days, despite the fact I hated running. But nowadays anyone who was holding the stopwatch while I was running the 40 yard dash would probably have time to pour a cup of coffee before I crossed the line.

Stopwatch? You're doing better than me, my 40 time is clocked with a sundial. I was never a sprinter, so even back in high school I couldn't hit the 5 second mark unless one of the local dinosaurs was chasing me.

Eric

40 yard dash is the NFL's standard, and it typically is not that accurate as the clock doesn't start until the runner moves (timers have to pay attention), where in a track & field race the runners don't move until a starter's gun goes off (and the races are 100m or longer outdoors, 60m indoors).

I never ran a timed sprint race that I can recall, and even in my younger days I'd look pathetic against anyone who had any sprinting ability I used to run distance races in high school and college, and was known for having a good finishing kick, but all the races were 1-mile and longer (no 1500m back in those days).

I was a sprinter in junior high school, and if it weren't for the fact that junior high school was 50 years ago I might even be able to remember what some of my times in the 60 and 100 were (yards, not meters, since we're talking 'Murica). I wouldn't be surprised if I could still throw down a respectable 40 yard dash, with the following caveats:
- gotta be NFL style with the "moving start" there's no way I can go from a dead stop at the sound of a starting pistol any more; and
- if for any reason I need to deviate from an absolutely stright line -- e.g., if the clown next to me veers out of his lane, or if there's a pile of dog poop in my lane that I can't clear by going up & over -- all bets are off, because I have completely lost the ability to execute any sort of side-to-side motion. Thanks, knees.

I laugh.

Sometimes I watch action or horror movies where a character has to run 3-40 yards to literally save his life .... I would just sit down and wait to be eaten or stabbed or shot or whatever, because dying of a heart attack 25 yards out wouldn't be any better ......

Ha ha hā - run,?? At 83? Maybe 4 yards before tripping all over myself!

I run about three times a week, but I’ve never been a sprinter. I’d say I could probably manage about 8 seconds without hurting myself.

Otto

Rich Eisen runs about a 6 flat 40 in sneakers and a suit at 53 y/o.

I would guess that most people in the age bracket would be afraid of pulling a muscle doing this which might inhibit their cycling. I know I would have second thoughts. But go for it you warriors!

Heck, ...even striding when I hike pulls groin muscles, hammies, etc.

Running is for 4 legged creatures, spreads the load better!

At our age we're wise enough to know how to avoid the need to run 40 yards at high speed! As I near 60 I'm still in great shape. I can ride a century in less time than it took me in my twenties, but I'm plain heavier than I used to be. Of course, my waist and chest we're 32 and 40 inches then whereas now they're 36 and 44. Extra weight kills acceleration.

Depends on who/what is chasing me!

Will there be snacks or beer at the end? It would effect my time.

Why would I want to run? I own several perfectly good bicycles.
Brent

How fast can you run a 40 yard dash?

I've never run a 40yd dash and never will. Can barely even jog due to bowed legs, bone/bone knees and crappy muscles. Wife and I began 5K walking in 2010 during the WDW Marathon Weekend and liked it so we got more involved. One year later at the 2011 WDW Marathon Weekend event we walked the 5K on Friday, the 1/2 Marathon on Saturday and on Sunday I WALKED the Full Marathon in 4:56:28 with 2 pit stops and 2 brief stops to check on my bleeding feet. We were both 61yo's

If there was a bear behind me, I bet I could at least outrun some of the other campers.
Tim

I could get there, but I don't know if it would be fast enough to be considered "running".

I haven't tried to run in years but I once had a decent sprint on the bike against other recreational riders. At 220# it was something I could do, as opposed to climbing fast. Now the sprint muscles are a shadow of what they once were.

I can still manage to put out a peak of about 1100W, but I know that's definitely lower than it was 20 years ago. I've never been much of a runner. I tried to get into it for a little while, and got to the point of being able to do about 5 miles at a sub-10 minute pace. On the bike, I strongly dislike wearing headphones. Running, I had to wear them to cancel out the disturbing sounds of my own suffering.

Thanks all for being so honest.I feel much better now. But I sure miss being young and spry. The reason I posted this was the other day I saw a young lady run after a bus she missed and actually catch it. No she wasn't like Princess Kate, she wasn't wearing heels.Brought back some cheerful memories.

I haven't done the sprint since high school. So that would be over forty years ago. In fact, I haven't sprinted on my bicycle either since that would be dangerous on city streets or highways.

I could probably do it in 3 to 5 weeks.

The last time I tried a 40 yard dash was untimed, but pretty darn fast. But, I was being pulled along by a running donkey on a rope, so I can't claim all the credit. I let go, and managed to stop without falling or straining anything.

Memo: Let go early!

6' tall with a sub 30" inseam - I'm not built to be fast afoot. I walk slow, run slow, move slow...