Aleksandra Raczyńska

An 88-year-old athlete from Chorzów who shows that courage, movement and physical capability can continue to grow after seventy.

Basic data

Aleksandra Raczyńska is an active senior athlete from Chorzów, a Nordic walking instructor and a participant in demanding endurance challenges. At age 85, she completed the Athens Marathon, and at age 88, she finished a Runmageddon obstacle race in Katowice.

Age

88 years

Country

Poland

Top achievement

She completed the Athens Marathon at age 85 and a Runmageddon obstacle race in Katowice at age 88.

Video

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Story

Aleksandra Raczyńska is an active athlete from Chorzów, Poland, who became widely recognized for taking on demanding physical challenges at an age when many people give up ambitious athletic goals. Media reports describe her as someone who became seriously involved in sport after the age of seventy, starting with Nordic walking.

Her story shows that physical capability later in life does not have to be only the result of lifelong athletic habits. In Aleksandra Raczyńska’s case, movement became a way to develop, maintain independence and keep taking on new challenges in older age.

In 2026, at age 88, she completed a Runmageddon obstacle race in Katowice, held on Hałda Kostuchna. According to media reports, it was her fourth completed Runmageddon event.

Training

Aleksandra Raczyńska’s main foundation is Nordic walking. Over time, this form of movement led her toward marathons, Nordic walking ultramarathons, running and obstacle races.

According to available materials, she trains regularly, leads Nordic walking sessions and remains active beyond competitions themselves. Media reports also mention swimming, winter swimming and training in Silesian Park.

Her example is especially interesting from a longevity perspective because it combines several important elements of healthy aging: regular movement, social connection, clear goals, exposure to new challenges and maintaining functional fitness.

Achievements

In 2023, Aleksandra Raczyńska completed the 40th Athens Marathon. She was 85 years old at the time, and her finishing time was 6 hours, 55 minutes and 57 seconds. Biuro Rekordów described this result as the Polish record for the oldest woman to complete a marathon.

In 2026, she completed Runmageddon in Katowice. According to reports from wKatowicach.eu and Ślązag, she was 88 years old, and the Katowice race was her fourth completed Runmageddon.

Media outlets also describe Aleksandra Raczyńska as a Nordic walking instructor and a highly active member of the senior sports community.

Philosophy

Aleksandra Raczyńska’s story challenges the stereotype that older age must mean withdrawing from ambitious physical activity. Her example shows that sport can be a tool for maintaining capability, courage and social energy even after eighty.

What makes her story especially important is that her athletic path did not begin with professional training in youth. It shows that starting physical activity later in life can still lead to real, measurable achievements.

Takeaways

It is never too late to start building physical capability.
Nordic walking can be a safe and effective gateway to greater activity.
Athletic goals in older age can strengthen motivation, independence and purpose.
Movement in a group can support consistency and add a social dimension.
Functional fitness in later life can mean not only health, but also freedom, courage and joy.