"Keep it up, keep it up, go for it, 29-year-old young man!" On the playground at Shandong University, 92-year-old Lü Mingpu jogged faster while pulling a training sled, cheered on by his teammates from the Jinan Masters Track and Field Team, who lined up on both sides to encourage him.
On Jan. 17, at the WSE 2025 Finals & Asia-Pacific International Invitational, Lü set a new meet record in the men's 100-meter race for the over-90 age group (M90) with a time of 20.87 seconds. At the 2023 China Masters Athletics Championships, he clinched three golds and one silver, while also breaking the meet record for the men's 85-and-over 100-meter dash. The veteran athlete, born in 1934, has proven with his achievements that age is no barrier to sports.
Warm-up, jogging, 30-meter sprints, 60-meter sprints, triple jump... This is Lü's unwavering morning training routine. Around 9 am, he consistently shows up at the training ground. Currently, Lü is preparing for an upcoming competition in Jinan at the end of the month, and in August, he will head to South Korea to compete in the World Masters Athletics Championships Daegu 2026.
"My goal is to stand on the podium," Lü said with a smile.
Lü's athletic career began after his retirement. After stepping down from his job in 1994, he first joined a winter swimming team, sticking with it for over a decade. In 2005, at the age of 71, he participated in his first national senior athletics championships and secured a bronze medal in the 100-meter event.
"When I was in my twenties at school, my personal best in the 100 meters was 13.6 seconds. When I competed at 71, I was only a little over a second slower," his tone still filled with pride when talking about his early competitive experiences.
On the track, Lü has created many legendary moments. During the 4×400-meter relay at the 2019 Asia Masters Athletics Championships held in Malaysia, as the final runner, Lü was more than 20 meters behind the Japanese team when he received the baton. He not only managed to close the gap but also pulled ahead by 30 meters, securing the gold medal for China.
"I love sports, but I'm not particularly gifted; the key is just perseverance." When discussing his exercise insights, Lü emphasized the word "perseverance." From badminton and winter swimming to track and field, his sporting interests have continuously expanded, but what has supported him has never been talent, but rather day-after-day consistent training. "Aging shows first in the legs; without exercise, muscles atrophy. The less you move, the more problems arise," Lü noted. He feels more energetic the more he trains and advises elderly individuals to choose suitable activities based on their own physical capabilities.
Lü is the oldest member of the Jinan Masters Track and Field Team. The middle-aged and senior teammates, brought together by their love for sports, support and encourage each other. Lü celebrated his 90th birthday right on the track, with his teammates preparing a cake and peach-shaped buns (a traditional Chinese birthday symbol for longevity), making it a happy and unforgettable occasion. He joked that when he was 91, his teammates reversed the number, calling him a "19-year-old young man," and this year he's become a "29-year-old young man."
"I've never felt that I'm old, aged, or unable to move. As long as my health permits, I will continue to exercise. As long as there's life, there will be sports." Lü also hopes that more competitions will open their doors to the elderly and not shut out senior citizens passionate about sports simply because of their age.
(Reporters & Camerapeople: Ding Chunli, Hu Wolong, Zhang Rui, Hu Ping; Editor: Yuge; English Editor: Darius)
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