The only time I won my age group, I beat 4 other runners in a 10k ( i also would have won the younger age-group). A few weeks later, in a much larger race, I placed 9th out of aprox. 30 in my age group. The top 3 or 4 beat me by a substantial amount of time. Though a win is a win, and I'll be buried with that 1st place medal (if somehow I become a celebrity against my will, it'll be in the JimmyB museum, which will be located in Central Falls, RI), I know that the latter race is the more real assessment of where I stood at the time.

I'm no major leaguer, and will never be invited to The Show, but I'll take what I can get here in the Grapefruit league. 

 

Just think about things this way, you'll "win" because you'll be a hell of a lot faster than those on the sidelines, and doubly so those with their butts still siting on the sofa.

I'm a very slow, middle-aged woman, but I'm a winner because my health is now EXCELLENT.  I got a glowing report at my annual physical last week.  I try to be very respectful of the faster runners and stay way to the right.  I also start out at the very back of every race.

At a local 5k this morning 15:36 didn't even place in the first three in an age group.

Geez that's fast.  The local 5K I ran yesterday had a downhill final mile where the winner laid down a 4:54 final mile and still he only managed a 16:03 for the full race.  Of course the high heat, really high humidity and the hills in the first two miles probably had something to do with the relatively slow final time. 

Not that this race was super-fast or anything but a family that belongs to my running club cleaned up at one of our local 5K races this morning .... Son#1, 17 years old won the overall race in 15:17, Son #2, 13 years old won his AG in 19:05 and proud Dad, 44 years old won his AG in 16:42.  Good running genes right there.