Guido Müller was arguably the greatest masters athlete of all time. Before he retired from track & field in 2019, Müller had won 48 world titles, 103 European titles, and 156 German national titles throughout the course of his 38-year masters career.

One of the most famous and inspiring athletes in the world, his legacy in masters track & field changed the way we think about longevity and brilliance.

Unfortunately, he spent his final years fighting Parkinson’s disease. He passed away on December 9 at the age of 87.

His leaving marks the end of an era for a sport he ruled for four decades, not only by participating but also by setting a standard of age-defying skill that amazed viewers and other athletes alike.

He won the title of World Masters Athlete of the Year three times, which is a very rare accolade that shows how consistently he was the best.

He set 17 world records at the same time for age groups M45 to M75, and some of his marks in the 300m hurdles for age ranges 60 to 75 are still standing today. Well, Müller’s track & field success story is one that shows life always gives us a second chance.

A successful track & field career that came a bit late

Guido Müller was born in Stuttgart in 1938. He was a talented young athlete who missed being chosen for the East German Olympic team for Tokyo 1964. He took a break from the sport to focus on his family and business, but he came back in the early 1980s and quickly became a big deal in the track & field world.

He didn’t simply battle against other people his age; he also raced against time itself, and for decades, he was winning.

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At the 2019 German Masters Championships, he ran his last races. This was a fitting end to a career that showed that competitive spirit never dies. Dieter Massin, a German author, paid respect to the athlete right away after he retired.

He said, “Yesterday, Sunday 14 July, Guido Müller run his last 200m and finished his career in athletics. A wonderful career of a fantastic sportsman ended at the German Masters Championships in Leinefelde.”

The World Masters Athletics Association perhaps offered the most fitting tribute, noting, “In the United States, a masters athlete with Müller’s accomplishments would be called the ‘GOAT’—the Greatest of All Time.” But more than the medals and records, Müller’s legacy is one of inspiration.

He showed that the peak of physical success isn’t just for young people and that sports can be a lifelong friend. Guido Müller’s starting blocks are now vacant, but the tracks he made are for any athlete who is brave enough to keep running, jumping, and throwing far into life.