Making room to the new talent

​This year, I found myself scrolling down the leaderboard of the Ultra Trail Australia a couple of pages before a familiar name finally jumped out at me. 
The old fast crew is gone! 

It seems like just yesterday when I recognized most of the top 20 finishers' names. I trained with a few of them and even supported them during races. Now, they're no longer competing in this particular race, and perhaps they've also stepped away from many other races that were once considered a must for the Australian Ultra community.

This realization can only mean one thing: I am also part of that old era. Even though I was never as fast, I am a relic of a past generation, and now it's time for the next generation to step up.

I greet this change with a smile, acknowledging the inevitable passage of time and shifting interests. I am certain that the old crew, like me, is still running. But, they are likely exploring different interests, sports, and races, or simply running for the sheer joy of it.

To the new generation, I wish you the best of luck. 
I won't dwell on the "good old days"! Instead, I wish you also have the next 10+ years of fantastic running feats, before the landscape will inevitably shift again.

Here's to making room for new talent!