What happens when a 35+ sprinter runs 10.40 seconds, athletes compete at more than 100 years old, and temperatures climb towards 37°C?

In this episode of the MainAthlet International Podcast, Benjamin and Boyke look back at the 2026 World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea – twelve intense days full of world-class performances, world records, extreme weather conditions and unforgettable moments from the international Masters Athletics community.

Daegu 2026 showed just how high the level of Masters Track and Field has become. One of the standout performances came in the men's M35 100 metres, where Jamaican sprinter Ramon ran an incredible 10.40 seconds with legal wind – even faster than Benjamin's own lifetime personal best of 10.49 seconds.

But the sporting performances were only one part of the story.

With temperatures between roughly 28 and 37 degrees Celsius and extremely high humidity, the conditions pushed athletes to their limits. Competitors collapsed during the championships, one German athlete had to be taken to hospital after the cross-country race, and even experienced athletes struggled with the heat.

Despite those conditions, Daegu produced outstanding performances across sprinting, middle-distance running, throws, jumps and relays.

Boyke also takes us behind the scenes of the championships: from an opening ceremony with around 20,000 spectators, pouring rain and a huge reception for the Korean team to thousands of volunteers supporting athletes throughout the event and an emotional closing ceremony where competitors from countries all over the world celebrated together.

The World Masters Athletics community also reached far beyond the stadium. WMA generated around 2.8 million social-media views within 30 days, while thousands of people followed athletes competing at 60, 70, 80 and even more than 100 years old.

For Boyke, this may be one of the biggest stories of Daegu 2026: people seeing Masters athletes compete and thinking, “Maybe I could do this too.”

So is Masters Athletics becoming a genuine global movement?

Benjamin and Boyke discuss the biggest sporting moments of Daegu 2026, the performances that surprised them most, the extreme conditions, the growing international Masters community and what comes next for World Masters Athletics as the focus already shifts towards the next championships in Florida.

An episode about Masters Athletics, Track and Field, sprinting, world records, healthy ageing, longevity, competitive sport and why athletic ambition doesn't have an expiration date.

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WMA Daegu 2026 is delivering performances that challenge almost everything we think we know about ageing, speed and competitive sport.

In this episode of MainAthlet International, Benjamin and Boyke look back at some of the most remarkable moments from the World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu — from brutal weather conditions in the decathlon to world-class sprinting, incredible relay teams and an athletics community that stretches across more than 100 countries.

One of the biggest stories is Kenton Brown. At 81 years old, he ran 100 metres in 14.16 seconds — and the video of his performance exploded across social media, reaching more than 5.5 million views. Benjamin and Boyke discuss what makes a performance like this so extraordinary and why Masters Athletics can connect with millions of people far beyond the traditional track and field audience. 

The sprint level throughout Daegu has been exceptional. From fast M35 performances to athletes over 80 still producing remarkable speed, the championships show how much athletic ability can remain even decades beyond an athlete’s traditional peak years. The relays produced another unforgettable image: four athletes aged 85, 86, 88 and 92 competing together — a combined age of 351 years. 

But this episode is about much more than results.

Boyke describes athletes from countries all over the world hugging, exchanging jerseys, supporting one another and reconnecting at international championships. His description of Masters Athletics is simple: the athletes compete seriously, but they are ultimately there because they genuinely love athletics.

The conversation also looks ahead. After Breda 2028, the World Masters Athletics Championships are heading to Houston in 2030 — and Boyke believes the United States could take Masters Athletics to a completely new level of media attention and visibility. 

Finally, the episode turns to perhaps the strongest symbol of the entire championship: a 106-year-old athlete from Thailand still travelling internationally and competing in throwing events. It leads to a simple takeaway about longevity: nutrition, hydration and recovery matter — but none of them replace movement.

Topics include: World Masters Athletics Championships, WMA Daegu 2026, Masters Athletics, 100m sprint, sprint training, longevity, healthy ageing, athletics community, track and field, world records, relay racing, Breda 2028 and Houston 2030.

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The World Masters Athletics Championships in Daegu keep delivering incredible stories.

In part two of our Daegu series, Benjamin Brömme catches up with Jan Boyke Seemann directly from South Korea.

One of our Masters Athletics videos has now reached more than one million people, showing just how much potential there is around the stories, personalities and performances in Masters sport. 

We also talk about some of the most emotional moments of the championships, outstanding sprint performances, world records, the incredible atmosphere inside the stadium and the extreme heat the athletes are dealing with. 

Another familiar name returns: former MainAthlet Podcast guest Beatrice Puiu, who Boyke has also supported as a coach, is competing in Daegu and adding another remarkable chapter to her Masters career. 

And away from the track, there was major news at the WMA General Assembly: Lima will no longer host the 2028 World Masters Athletics Championships. Breda in the Netherlands is set to take over, while Houston was selected for 2030. 

We also discuss the new Gallery of Champions, life behind the scenes at the championships – and whether Boyke is actually getting any sleep at all.

If you enjoy athletics stories from around the world, follow the MainAthlet Podcast International and subscribe so you don't miss the next update from Daegu.

Topics in this episode:

World Masters Athletics · WMA Daegu 2026 · Masters Athletics · Breda 2028 · Sprinting · World Records · Beatrice Puiu · Gallery of Champions · Athletics Social Media

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The World Masters Athletics Championships 2026 are underway in Daegu – and this event is about much more than medals and results.

In this episode of the MainAthlet International Podcast, Boyke reports directly from South Korea after the first days of competition. More than 100 nations have come together in Daegu, while around 20,000 spectators turned the opening ceremony into a spectacular show with K-pop, fireworks, drones and athletes marching into the stadium.

We talk about what makes the Masters Athletics community so special, why athletes from completely different countries immediately connect through sport and why Masters athletes deserve much more visibility and recognition.

Boyke also shares some behind-the-scenes stories from Daegu: finally getting his missing luggage back, meeting former MainAthlet International guests such as Amanda Bisk and Allan Simms in real life, the upcoming WMA Meet & Greet, the Global Slow Jog event and what he is looking forward to during the next days of competition.

And of course, there is plenty more to come from Daegu.

WORLD RECORD AT 81 🤯 https://youtube.com/shorts/pG2KuAfvNz4

🎙️ Follow MainAthlet International for more stories, interviews and updates from the World Masters Athletics Championships 2026.

▶️ You can also follow the championships on the MainAthlet International YouTube channel, with videos and interviews directly from South Korea.

#WMAC2026 #WorldMastersAthletics #MastersAthletics #Daegu2026 #TrackAndField

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Most master athletes think they need less food as they age — the opposite is true. Sports nutritionist Camila Parentes Santos joins MainAthlet International to break down what really changes in the body after 35: why protein needs go up, why the low-carb trend online is doing more harm than good, and how to stay properly hydrated when racing in extreme heat. A practical, evidence-based conversation for any athlete over 35 who trains hard and wants to recover smarter.

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Colleen Barney (WMA Treasurer & Legal/Finance Committee Chair) joins the show just weeks before Daegu 2026 to talk about what's really happening behind the scenes of World Masters Athletics — why the organization's reach is still tiny compared to individual athletes, why almost nobody wants to bid to host a World Championship anymore, what it actually costs to run one, and why communication might be the sport's biggest unsolved problem. Colleen also opens up about her own return from injury.

If you care about masters athletics, global sport organizations, or what it takes to run a world championship on a volunteer budget — this one's for you.

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He found two future Olympic finalists standing in his own driveway — before either of them owned a pair of spikes. Alan Sims has spent 50 years in track and field: as a 9-year-old who fell in love with the sport by accident, a high school record holder, a coach who's sent over 500 athletes to college, and now a 60-year-old masters sprinter and long jumper still competing at a world-class level. In this episode, Alan talks about: — How a knee injury ended his own college career before it started — The driveway conversation that led to coaching an Olympic family — Why recovery matters more at 60 than it did at 20 — The visibility problem holding masters athletics back from real sponsorship and reach If you've ever wondered what it takes to stay in a sport for five decades — and still find new reasons to love it — this one's for you.

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Angela Bickel is a firefighter, a world champion in the weight throw — and the newest inductee into the USATF Masters Athletics Hall of Fame.

In this episode, we celebrate her 2026 Hall of Fame honor and revisit our conversation with Angela from the World Masters Athletics Championships, where she took W50 gold in the weight throw.

Her path to the top was anything but straight: gymnast turned hurdler, heptathlete turned shot putter, Olympic Trials qualifier at 29, firefighter for 17 years — and she didn't return to competition until she was 40.

Angela talks about the two kinds of adrenaline she lives with (butterflies in the ring vs. the rush of running into a fire), why it's never too late to find your event, and what drives her to keep competing at the highest level.

Plus: What is the USATF Masters Hall of Fame? We break down what it takes to earn this honor — and spotlight a few legends who came before Angela.

🏅 Topics: USATF Masters Hall of Fame, weight throw, shot put, masters athletics, firefighter athlete, W50, competing after 40

📩 Have a Hall of Fame in your country? Tell us! Email [email protected] or DM us on Instagram @mainathlet.

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World Masters Athletics Championships Daegu 2026 – August 22 to September 3.

In this episode, a representative from the Local Organizing Committee (LOC)

joins Boyke to give international athletes the inside track on everything

that matters: competition venues, shuttle buses, free transport cards for all

participants, training facilities, accommodation booking, medical and

physiotherapy services, and how the LOC is managing the heat.

But this is more than a logistics briefing. Daegu is about to become the first

city in history to host both the Indoor and Outdoor World Masters Athletics

Championships – a dream that started with the 2017 Indoor event and comes true

this summer. Our guest also shares personal tips for first-time visitors: where

to eat, what to see, a few Korean phrases that will get you far, and why the

Athlete Holiday programme is worth planning around.

If you're competing in Daegu or still deciding whether to register – this

episode is your starting point.

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Amanda Bisk is a former elite pole vaulter who represented Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. After being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome in 2011, she was forced to step away from competitive athletics entirely – and build something new.

What followed was a complete reinvention: yoga instructor, Pilates coach, personal trainer, CrossFit coach, and founder of a fitness app with over 600,000 Instagram followers. Now, at 40, she's back on the runway – jumping 3.85m in Masters pole vault and preparing for the World Masters Championships in Daegu.

In this episode, Boyke and Amanda talk about the identity crisis that comes with retirement, what longevity really means for a former elite athlete, and how coaching masters athletes compares to coaching professionals.

Topics covered: Masters athletics, chronic fatigue & recovery, pole vault technique, longevity training, building a fitness business, competing at 40+, World Masters Championships Daegu 2026.

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