Ed Bixenstine, 87, Claims Eighth Consecutive Title at ITU Duathlon World Championships

It has been said that time catches up with all of us. Everyone, that is, except for the seemingly ageless Ed Bixenstine.

V. Edwin Bixenstine (Ed Bixenstine), 87, earned the gold medal in his age group earlier this month at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Duathlon World Championships held in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

The title marked Bixenstine’s eighth consecutive first-place finish, and ninth overall since 2002. Despite dealing with a hamstring injury, Bixenstine outlasted the competition in Ottawa by running 10K (6.2 miles), biking 40K (24.8 miles) and then running 5K (3.1 miles) in a total time of 3 hours and 56 minutes.

“This last race in Ottawa was certainly one of my most taxing and most rewarding,” said Bixenstine, whose nine titles span 12 years and eight countries. 

A product of the Roaring Twenties, Bixenstine did not begin competing in duathlons until 1986 — at the age of 60. Now claiming an age at which athletic inclination is far from the norm, he maintains an astonishing degree of youthfulness.

“It is quite clear to me that I grow older, less physically able, and with diminishing skills each and every year now,” Bixenstine said. “All I've succeeded in doing is to retard the more commonly seen effects of age which many display at my age but have not practiced my ‘program of retarding age.’ You see, so many view aging as a time for reducing their physical activities and simply accepting graciously the effects of their relatively sedentary way of life as ‘normal’limitations of aging. The truth is, a large part of ‘aging’ is assignable to absence of exercise and the resultant loss of muscle tone and the gain of unnecessary weight, which of course, tends to produce even more reduction in movement and exercise. So the ‘secret’ is simply continued ‘high’ levels of exercise (one to two hours daily) and the gradual reduction in food intake inkeeping with the inevitable lowering of oxygen utilization (rate of energy burn). Of course, it also helps to eat nutritious foods and avoid ‘empty’ calories.”

Bixenstine, a retired professor and psychologist who has achieved recognition as a published author, typically maintains his fitness throughout the year by running 10-12 miles twice each week, biking 25 miles weekly and mixing in weight training.

For those seeking to drink from his fountain of youth, Bixenstine offers the following advice: “Just do it — make exercise a part of the everyday structure of your life. If you don't, you won't.”