"I started running when they didn't have running shoes for ladies," says Sue Langley, avid runner and participant in the upcoming Mid-Carolina Senior Games.
Langley, who is 74 years old, talks quickly and excitedly about the upcoming event and her time of preparation for the big day. The road that she and a lot of other female athletes have climbed to get where they are today and compete like they do is nothing to take for granted. She and her fellow runners, she notes, appreciate every step. Langley says she always ran for fun for many years from college on but didn't realize at first that there were such things as races.
"My kids started running and wanted to do races so I did too," she says. "After that, I was hooked."
The Mid-Carolina Senior Games have been a long-standing tradition, but according to Health Promotions and Senior Games Coordinator Lashonda Gough, participation declined during the pandemic. Since taking over in 2021-2022, Gough has been rebuilding the event. Prior to that she says, there were a lot of audience members. Now, just a few years later, Gough is hoping to have around 400 participants. Last year, there were 350 participants and each year since has increased.
Spanning over a month, the event features more than 25 sports, open to anyone 50 and older— or, as Gough puts it, “50 years old or better.”
Gough reminds anyone to not let that underestimate the participants or their athletic skills. Langley, for example, is still training and running five to six days a week.
“Our oldest participant was 95,” she says. “We have some dedicated seniors, and they are healthier than I am sometimes. They are competitive. It’s a fun time. I love it.”
The games kick off on April 9 and last through May 15. Opening ceremonies will be held April 9 at 9 a.m. at Monarch Stadium on the Methodist University campus, and are free and open to everyone. Everything is broken down by age group including a group for those who are 100 years old or more. The events will include pickleball, track and field, table tennis, basketball, softball, mini golf, bowling, cycling and much more.
“We recently added disc golf this year,” Gough says. “I didn’t know anything about disc golf until we added it.”
Her favorite, though, is mini golf.
The event will also include a Silver Arts Talent show. These are the non-athletic events that include visual arts, literary arts and performances. All the artists will have artwork displayed. This portion of the event will take place on April 24 at John D. Fuller Sr. Recreation Complex on Bunce Road.
Langley will be participating in both the running event and the silver arts in watercolor. She has already qualified for running in the national senior games in Iowa that will take place in July. Participants qualified on the state level the year prior to the national games so she secured her spot for this upcoming national competition last year.
"It's keeping people young and active," Langley says. "So you don't just get old and shrivel up and do nothing. I can't wait."
The event will begin with track and field events on opening day and a fun walk. There will also be a health and fitness fair on opening day — all taking place at Methodist University. If the participants place in their events — either gold, silver or bronze — they will have the opportunity to go to the state-level games which take place every two years. After that, those winners can have the opportunity to go to nationals.
Spectators are welcome to the events free of charge and can come to any of the games. For more information or about schedules, visit https://mccog.org/senior-games.asp. Spectators can also follow along online on the Facebook page for www.facebook.com/mcseniorgames/.

(Photo: Participants in the Softball event pose for a photo during the Mid Carolina Senior Games 2024. Photo courtesy of Lashonda Gough, Health Promotions and Senior Games Coordinator)