This book provides a holistic, scientifically founded platform of knowledge about track and field Masters athletics, a phenomenon to which approx. 100,000 athletes subscribe world-wide. Although largely neglected by the media, the sport is well-organized and provides a platform for achieving astounding performances across the age spectrum.

Masters athletes have often been apostrophized as role models of successful aging. Indeed, their body’s physique, and their fitness levels often let them appear younger than they are. However, success in the sport is only possible for those who consider the toll of aging in their training plans, but this is currently done mostly on an intuitive level.

The book links all relevant aspects, ranging from organizational topics (including anti-doping), the biological, physiological and psychosocial principles of training and aging, a scientifically founded approach to training prescription, as well as the pertinent information to balance holistic health and performance benefits with the risk of injury and age-related physiological and socio-cultural factors.

The book serves as a reference to the increasing number of researchers in the field of Masters athletics, as it provides relevant information to physicians, sports medicine doctors and physiotherapists in their support for athletes, and it will be valuable to stakeholders and organizers who organize, market and broadcast events.

Finally, it will help athletes and judges to better understand the intricate interplay between aging, training, fitness and performance, thereby eventually improving safety and quality of the sport.

Jörn Rittweger spent more than two decades advancing research in Masters track and field athletics. What began as a focus on bone and muscle physiology developed into a broad, integrative program addressing the full spectrum of scientific factors relevant to aging athletes. As a physician specializing in physiology, he worked at the interface of fundamental research and clinical application. His expertise informed strategies to safeguard astronaut health and performance in space, while also shaping rehabilitation approaches for patients on Earth. Dr. Rittweger’s primary appointment was at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), where he led the Division of Muscle and Bone Metabolism within the Institute of Aerospace Medicine. He also held a secondary appointment as a full professor in the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine at the University of Cologne. Over the course of his career, he authored more than 250 peer‑reviewed scientific publications, held a patent, and was deeply committed to training the next generation of scientists and physicians in human physiology. Shortly after the World Masters Athletics Championships in Gainesville, Florida, in 2025, Dr. Rittweger passed away.

Hirofumi Tanaka has devoted his career to advancing the science of human cardiovascular aging and exercise physiology. His research program, built over several decades, has illuminated how habitual physical activity shapes vascular function, arterial health, and overall longevity across the adult lifespan. As a physiologist trained in both basic, applied, and community-based science, he worked at the interface of mechanistic research and real‑world health promotion. His laboratory’s findings have informed evidence‑based strategies to preserve vascular function, reduce cardiovascular risk, and optimize physical performance in aging populations. His age-predicted formula for determining maximal heart rate is now known as the Tanaka Formula. Dr. Tanaka is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at the University of Texas at Austin, where he directed the renowned Cardiovascular Aging Research Laboratory. Under his leadership, the lab became a leading center for studying arterial stiffness, endothelial function, and the physiological benefits of lifelong exercise. He is consistently ranked among the world’s most highly cited scientists in medicine and kinesiology. His ongoing commitment to rigorous research and to training the next generation of scholars continues to shape the field.