At 80 years old, most people are taking it easy, maybe playing some gentle golf or reading the newspaper. But Rod Stewart? He’s out there training like a maniac on his private running track, trying to break the world record for the 100-meter sprint in his age group. His family is absolutely losing their minds, literally begging him to stop before his heart gives out. The rock legend has already shaved his time down to 19 seconds and thinks he can hit 17 seconds for the record.
The current record holder makes Rod’s goal look impossible
Here’s the thing that makes this whole situation even crazier – Rod thinks running 17 seconds will get him the world record, but he’s way off. An American guy named Kenton Brown already smashed the record in October 2024, running an incredible 14.21 seconds at the Nevada Senior Games. That’s almost three seconds faster than what Rod is aiming for, which in sprinting terms is like being in a completely different league.
Brown set his record at 80 years and 32 days old, running in less-than-perfect wind conditions too. This means he could probably go even faster on a good day. Rod would need to improve his current time by nearly five seconds just to get close to Brown’s record. That’s like asking someone who jogs around the block to suddenly run like an Olympic athlete. The math just doesn’t add up, but Rod doesn’t seem fazed by the impossible odds.
His family literally thinks his heart will explode
Rod’s family members aren’t being dramatic when they say they’re terrified. They’ve actually told him straight up: “Don’t do it! We’re worried your heart will literally explode.” Think about it – this is a guy who spent decades partying like a rock star, drinking heavily, and living the wild life that comes with fame. Now at 80, he wants to push his body to the absolute limit in one of the most demanding sports there is.
The concern isn’t just about his age either. Rod has admitted that his “days are numbered,” which makes his family even more worried about this risky attempt. Sprinting puts massive stress on the heart and cardiovascular system, especially when someone is trying to break records. His loved ones are watching him train intensely every day, knowing that one wrong move or too much strain could be dangerous. Despite their pleas, Rod maintains he has “no fear” and wants to enjoy his remaining years to the fullest.
His training setup sounds like a millionaire’s playground
Rod isn’t just running around his neighborhood track like the rest of us would. His English estate has everything you’d find at a professional training facility – a private 100-meter running track, an indoor pool, a massive gym, and even a personal golf course. He’s been working with the same personal trainer for 38 years, which is longer than most people stay married. This guy knows Rod’s body better than anyone and has been helping him stay in shape through all the ups and downs of his career.
The setup is so elaborate that it makes regular gym memberships look like playground equipment. Having a private track means Rod can train whenever he wants without dealing with crowds or weather issues. His trainer has access to decades of knowledge about what works for Rod’s body and what doesn’t. This isn’t some mid-life crisis where he joined a local running club – this is a full-scale professional operation designed to push an 80-year-old body to its absolute limits.
Frank Sinatra’s swimming advice changed everything for Rod
Rod’s training routine includes something most sprinters would never think of – underwater exercises that would make Navy SEALs jealous. He dives to the bottom of his pool to retrieve bricks, then pushes them across the pool floor while holding his breath. This bizarre training method came from advice that Frank Sinatra gave him years ago. Sinatra told him, “Rod, the secret to being a great singer is having powerful lungs – do lots of underwater swimming, where you hold your breath.”
What started as vocal training has become part of Rod’s athletic preparation. The underwater brick-pushing serves double duty – it builds the lung capacity he needs for singing and strengthens his overall fitness for sprinting. This unique approach means Rod is training his cardiovascular system in ways that most 80-year-olds never would. He’s essentially combining two completely different types of training into one intense workout that pushes his body in multiple directions at once. The method might sound crazy, but it’s helped him maintain his physical conditioning well into his 80s.
Past health scares make this attempt even riskier
Rod’s medical history reads like a reminder of why his family is so worried. He battled prostate cancer in 2016, which is serious business for anyone, let alone someone planning to sprint competitively. Before that, he had thyroid surgery in 2000 to remove a cancerous tumor that could have ended his singing career if it had affected his vocal cords. These aren’t minor health hiccups – they’re major medical events that would make most people think twice about intense physical activity.
Add his decades of hard partying to the mix, and the concern becomes even more real. Rod’s body has been through a lot over the years, and while he’s maintained his fitness better than most rock stars, the combination of age, medical history, and extreme physical demands creates a perfect storm of risk. His wife Penny Lancaster has been working to keep him healthy, but there’s only so much damage control someone can do when their husband decides to chase world records at 80. Every training session becomes a potential medical emergency waiting to happen.
A knee replacement ended his soccer dreams but not his athletic ambitions
Rod had to give up playing soccer after getting a knee replacement, which would be enough to slow down most people permanently. Soccer was a huge part of his life – he was obsessed with the sport and played regularly despite being a world-famous musician. Losing that outlet could have been the end of his athletic pursuits, but instead, it just redirected his competitive energy toward sprinting. The knee replacement shows that his body has already been through significant wear and tear.
What’s remarkable is that instead of accepting the limitations that come with joint replacement surgery, Rod found a new way to push his physical limits. Sprinting might actually put less stress on his knees than soccer, but it demands everything from his cardiovascular system instead. He’s essentially trading one type of physical risk for another. The fact that he recovered from major surgery and immediately started training for world records shows just how determined he is to keep competing, regardless of what his body has been through.
This attempt comes right after his lifetime achievement award
The timing of Rod’s world record attempt is pretty incredible when you think about it. He just received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Music Awards, where five of his children surprised him on stage. Most people would take that as a perfect capstone to an amazing career and maybe slow down a bit. Not Rod – he apparently saw it as the perfect setup for his next big challenge. Getting recognized for a lifetime of musical achievements just made him hungrier for athletic recognition.
The award ceremony was emotional, with Rod being genuinely shocked to see his kids there to present the honor. It was one of those perfect family moments that usually signals the start of a more relaxed phase of life. Instead, Rod seems to have taken it as motivation to prove he’s not ready to slow down yet. The contrast between receiving a lifetime achievement award and immediately training for a world record attempt perfectly captures his refusal to act his age. He’s treating his 80s like some people treat their 20s.
Rod admits his days are numbered but refuses to slow down
What makes Rod’s attitude both inspiring and terrifying is his complete honesty about mortality combined with his refusal to let it stop him. He’s openly admitted that his “days are numbered,” which is something most 80-year-olds think about but don’t necessarily say out loud. Instead of using that awareness as a reason to take it easy, he’s using it as motivation to pack as much living as possible into whatever time he has left. It’s like he’s racing against time itself.
This mindset explains why his family is so scared – they can see that he’s not going to be talked out of this, no matter how risky it might be. Rod has decided that he’d rather risk everything than spend his final years playing it safe. He’s approaching his 80s with the same “no fear” attitude that made him a rock star in the first place. While it’s admirable in some ways, it’s also exactly the kind of thinking that makes loved ones lose sleep at night, especially when it involves pushing an 80-year-old heart to its absolute limits.
Rod Stewart’s quest to break a sprinting world record at 80 is the perfect example of someone refusing to go quietly into retirement. While his family’s fears about his heart are completely understandable given his age and medical history, there’s something undeniably inspiring about a rock legend who won’t let advanced age stop him from chasing new dreams. Whether he succeeds or not, Rod is proving that 80 is just a number when you have enough determination and access to underwater brick-pushing training.
