Where have all the women gone?

Published 4 days ago • 1 min read

I surveyed runners recently and one response stopped me:

“Why isn’t there enough info out there about women and being strong and fit into old age?”

That question stuck with me, partly because it’s personal. I’m 46, I run ultras, and I've got no intention of stopping anytime soon.

So I went back through the last five years of results from a local trail 25K and 50K recently. I wanted to see who's still out there in their 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Women show up in force in their 30s and 40s.

In the 50s, that number drops by more than half.

In the 60s, it drops by more than half again. We're talking single digits.

In the 70–79 bracket, a few men were still crossing the finish line. But here were no women.

And I don't think those women stopped wanting it. In fact, I hear the opposite from runners all the time -- women who want to still be racing in their 50s, 60s, and 70s.

But as a coach of midlife women, what I see instead is a decade where everything piles up at once: caregiving, career, sleep that's all over the place, recovery that doesn't bounce back like it used to. The goals are the first thing to go. Then the consistency. Then, the identity.

Maybe you're feeling a version of that right now. Busy all day. Restless at night. A little disconnected from the runner you know you are. Wondering if setting a running goal at this stage is kind of silly when you can barely keep up as it is.

It isn't silly. I think it might be exactly what's missing.

I made the whole case in my latest post, including why why running goals are so important for midlife mental health and how to choose a goal that fits the life you have now.

Read "Why Running Goals Matter After 40 (Even If You’re Not Competitive)" here.

Talk soon,

P.S. If a goal is already tugging at you, the waitlists are open for The Durable Runners in 2027. There are two cohorts starting in January 2027 -- one for a Spring half-marathon and one for those who are ready to lay the foundation for ultra running.

I'm on a mission to get more women in their 40s, 50s and beyond out there chasing big running goals.

Thinking of a Spring half marathon? Join this waitlist now.

Considering an ultra in 2027 or beyond? Join this waitlist now.

P.O. Box 601, Clarksburg, MD 20871
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