Age is no obstacle for more than 640 veterans who will converge on Canberra for the 41st Australian Masters Athletics Track and Field Championships, starting on Friday.
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The four-day Easter carnival features athletes as young as 30 all the way up to evergreen 89-year-old NSW competitor Max McKay, who will compete in 10 events.
Rad Leovic, 85, is the oldest of more than 100 ACT entrants and will line up in the 5000m, shot put and pentathlon.
Jan Banens laughs off talk of giving the sport away, with the 71-year-old determined to continue as long as her body will allow her.
''We're just trying to stay out of nursing homes,'' she laughed. ''They say masters athletics is an injury held together by ligaments.
''You never retire, unless you're so injured, but even then, you find something else you can do.''
Since taking up the hammer throw about 25 years ago, Banens has gone on to hold seven world records in her age group and competed at numerous masters world championships.
Places at this year's world titles in South America will be up for grabs, but Kerry Boden's main goal is taking a leaf out of her daughter's book.
Lauren Boden is the national 400m hurdles champion and made her Olympic Games debut in London last year.
''I do it because I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, but I guess Lauren is my inspiration,'' Kerry Boden said.
''Our family has been into athletics as long as I can remember.''
Jayne Hardy, 50, competes in all the throwing events and had a 17-year break from the sport before returning when she was 34.
''The option of retiring isn't really there until you're forced into it,'' Hardy said. ''You can move into a new age group and the challenge of competing is always there.''
While they're all mates off the track, John Reynolds, 68, insists the competitive juice still gets stirred up once the starter's gun fires.
''I just like the competition,'' he said. ''We do it mainly for the competition and the social side's an add-on at the finish.''
The AIS track will host the majority of the events, with the cross country being held at Stromlo Forest Park and the road walking at Lennox Gardens.