Li Jian'an, 74, an international member of the US National Academy of Medicine, started running marathons at 64 and completed 112 full marathons over nine years.

He admits that in recent years he has repeatedly been refused when signing up because of his age.

Industry insiders reveal that some race operators, while not stating an age limit in the registration rules, quietly filter out applicants over 65 during the lottery. Participants often only receive a "not selected" result and cannot know the real reason.

So, how large is the population of older marathon runners?

According to public data from the Chinese Athletics Association and major domestic races, over the past five years runners aged 60 and above accounted for about 4.66%.

Behind this, is it that older people don't like to run, or that rules keep them out? How can older runners participate smoothly? Two major domestic marathons have each provided solutions by different means.

At the 2026 Wuxi Marathon, applicants aged 60–64 made up 2%, and those 65 and above made up 1%. Although older runners are not the core group, they were not absent.

The organizing committee imposed clear requirements for runners aged 70 and above: a direct relative must sign the online "Informed Consent for Elderly Participants", and the runner must have a companion running alongside them for the entire race, giving the runners the opportunity to participate while ensuring their safety.

At the 2026 Xiamen Marathon, the race for the first time set up age-group awards for recreational runners, which included the 60-and-over age bracket..

In the end 1,329 runners aged 60–64 finished, and 501 runners aged 65 and above finished. The top three men in the 60-plus age groupall posted times within 2 hours 50 minutes.

These facts repeatedly prove: age has never been a measure of ability. What should be questioned are those secretly set invisible barriers. With proper measures, older people can also participate in marathons smoothly.

Facing this contradiction, Li Jian'an believes races should consider physical condition and past performance as references, rather than applying a blanket age cutoff.

Beyond race operations, the exclusion of older people by the sports insurance system is also widely recognized within the industry as the biggest bottleneck.

Most domestic insurers set 70 years as the underwriting cutoff for sports accident insurance, meaning people over 70 cannot be normally insured.

This also means that without insurance backing, any accident could expose organizers to massive losses.

In addition, entrenched fitness perceptions further narrow older people's exercise space, with many operators simplistically equating "elderly" with "high risk".

Given the insurance and liability difficulties, what is the fair path for older runners?

Experts suggest replacing blanket age cutoffs with scientific assessments:

1. Require entrants to provide proof of past finishes, sport-specific medical examination reports, etc.;

2. Urge the insurance industry to develop senior-specific sports insurance and extend the coverage age;

3. Marathons can also add senior categories, set dynamic cutoff times, staggered starts, and other rules.

The barriers that prevent older people from joining competitive sports may outwardly look like a market choice driven by missing insurance and risk avoidance, but actually reflect societal misconceptions about older people's right to exercise and institutional lag.

When "active aging" becomes a national strategy and 320 million older people long to leave the park and step onto the course, what we need are not age-drawn "invisible barriers" but a more refined governance plan: from replacing age limits with scientific assessment, to insurance product innovation, to more detailed race services and clearer allocation of responsibility.

Ensuring every older runner who loves sport can start fairly on the line is not only about sporting spirit, but about a society's respect and care for life.