In December 1991, a 39-year-old Montana State graduate student named Russell Jacquet LaMar Acea submitted a master’s thesis titled “A Profile of the Masters Track & Field Athlete.” It was reprinted in National Masters News in the early 1990s, and then pretty much forgotten. In 2003. Russ shared some old 5 1/4-inch floppy disks containing the thesis. Today, after a long delay (mostly my fault, some of it technical), I posted it. See it here as a PDF document.

Russell’s thesis reported on physical tests and surveys of 94 masters track and field athletes (74 male and 20 female) who volunteered to be surveyed and have their body composition estimated at six meets during the 1991 summer track season. Sixty-six non-competitors (30 female and 36 male) also volunteered to have similar information collected and were divided into exercise and non-exercise groups.
Russ continued:
“Data collected consisted of demographic, anthropometric, health and dietary habits, track & field background, training/exercise habits and injuries. Average income exceeded the national average and more so for those that travel out-of-state for competition.
“These athletes also appear to be healthier and more fit. The majority of the male and female athletes exercised at a frequency and duration at or above the recommended guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine.
“Few smoke, both blood pressure and resting heart rate are indicative of those who train and all but the throwers and racewalkers have low body fat percentages in comparison to health recommendations. Undoubtedly health related benefits are related to the exercise habits of these athletes. A relatively high rate of injury with hamstring muscles was the only negative factor uncovered.
“Finally, the Masters track & field athlete appears to be better off when compared to those who regularly exercise and more so in comparison to the non-exercising controls.
Conclusions
“1 The principal reasons for participation in Masters track & field were for socialization, health and enjoyment of competition.
“2 Masters track & field athletes displayed a mean annual income level far above the national mean income levels and may play an important role in competition participation.
“3 Male athlete hamstring injuries were high and may represent errors in training and rehabilitation techniques.
“4 Female exercisers, racewalkers and both male and female throwers appear to be exercising at a rate below recommended levels needed to maintain optimal fitness levels.
“5 The Masters athletes who competed in running events were much leaner than their non-exercising peers.”
Among Russell’s recommendations:
“Further long term prospective studies of Masters track & field athletes need to be completed to better determine the retarding effects on aging.”
Russ gave the study of masters track a great push, and others have followed.
Some of the data (especially income) is now dated, but the essence of his findings still hold.
Others have done similar studies, but haven’t made them as accessible as Russ did in providing his thesis. Thank you, Russ, and my apologies for taking so long to post your great work from 1991.