It took a little more than 24 hours for 61-year-old Dan King to rewrite the men’s outdoor track record book in his age group.

On December 11, at the Five and Dime meet in Columbia, South Carolina, King ran the mile in 4:52.68, shaving 0.33 seconds off the existing 60–64 record of 4:53.01, set by Nolan Shaheed in 2012.

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The following day, King stepped on the track for the 5,000 meters and finished in 16:48.67, which bettered the previous mark (16:52.00) that had stood since 1985. King averaged 5:24 per mile pace. En route to the 5,000 record, King passed 3,000 meters in 9:58.77, making it three records on the weekend. (The previously held record for the distance, which is rarely run outdoors, was 10:07.58. Shaheed still holds the indoor 3,000 record of 9:48.84.)

If King’s name seems familiar, it’s because he has been running fast for most of 2020. In August, he ran the mile in 4:49.08, which was thought at the time to be a world record. But that meet was not sanctioned by USA Track & Field, so the times from the meet can’t be used for record purposes. The administrative work of sanctioning requires meet directors to pay an extra fee, have insurance, and agree to abide by certain rules.

The same snafu befell marathoner Gene Dykes, then 70, when he ran what appeared to be a world age-group record in Jacksonville, Florida. He discovered later that the time wouldn’t count because the race was certified, but not sanctioned.

At the Five and Dime meet, all the proper procedures were followed to make sure any records would count. King’s exploits came at the same meet where high school junior Jenna Hutchins set a high school record in the 5,000 meters.

King told Runner’s World that during the mile, he went out just a shade too fast behind the pacer, which left him struggling in the final 200 meters. “I was shutting down a little bit,” he said. “I tried to drive for the finish, but if you go hard early and it’s a little too hard, you pay at the end.”

He said he wasn’t concerned about his race the next day when he was doing the mile. “I didn’t hold anything back,” he said. “I ran as hard as I could for four laps.”

That his 4:49 mile will never be ratified doesn’t bother him. The year was “beyond his wildest expectations,” he said.

King, who lives in Boulder, Colorado, is in the midst of taking two weeks of rest, something he doesn’t usually do, but he said he didn’t expect to make it that long without a workout of some kind. He figured as his two weeks ended, his dog walks would likely turn into dog jogs.

Meanwhile, he’s plotting his racing for next year, which will depend on what’s available during the pandemic. He’d like to compete next July at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Finland, when he’ll have just turned 62—if the meet happens, of course.

“I think I can still compete well through my 62nd year,” he said. “It’s one more great opportunity.” After that, with younger men aging up into the 60–64 category, it gets increasingly difficult to go for records. That is, until he turns 65.


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Sarah Lorge Butler

Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!