Compare current race times with old PBs using age grading

Old personal bests can be inspiring. They can also be brutal.

A 10K time from your 30s may look impossible in your 50s. A marathon PB from years ago may not reflect the runner you are now. The raw clock does not know that you have aged, changed jobs, recovered from injuries or rebuilt your training from scratch.

Age grading gives you a fairer way to compare.

The problem with old PBs

Personal bests are simple: fastest ever wins.

That is useful, but it can become discouraging as you get older. A slower raw time does not always mean a weaker performance. It may mean you are producing a strong result in a different age group.

Age grading helps separate the performance from the nostalgia.

What to compare instead

Instead of comparing only raw times, compare:

• age-graded percentage
• age-adjusted equivalent time
• course and conditions
• training context
• how the result fits your current life

The age-graded number will not tell the whole story, but it gives you a better starting point.

Example: old 10K PB versus current 10K

Imagine you ran 10K much faster in your 30s than you do now.

The raw time says the old result was better. That may still be true. But age grading might show your current result is closer than you thought, or even stronger in age-adjusted terms.

That is powerful because it keeps competition alive without pretending you are the same athlete you were twenty years ago.

How to do the comparison

Use TruePace Run twice:

• Enter your old PB with your age at the time.
• Note the age-graded percentage and adjusted time.
• Enter your current result with your current age.
• Compare the age-graded numbers.
• Add human context: course, weather, training and recovery.

Do not compare one number blindly. Use it as a lens.

Why this can be motivating

Age grading can show progress that raw time hides.

Maybe your current 5K is slower than your lifetime best, but your age-graded percentage is similar. Maybe your marathon is slower, but the performance is stronger for your age. That can make goals feel more realistic and more meaningful.

The aim is not to live in the past. It is to understand the present fairly.

What age grading cannot fix

Age grading does not know everything. It cannot fully adjust for:

• hilly courses
• heat or wind
• injury comeback races
• pacing someone else
• different shoes
• years of interrupted training

So use it carefully. It is a comparison tool, not a courtroom verdict.