Birmingham is Hosting the 2017 National Senior Games
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19 sporting events. 13 days. Over 10,000 athletes. The 2017 National Senior Games are coming to the Magic City.
The National Senior Games is a multi-sport, Olympic-style event that will take place in our city June 2nd through the 15th of this year. All Athletes are 50 years of age or older. More than 10,000 athletes will participate in 19 different sports. At these games, you’ll see athletes competing like Carroll Marty, an 82-year-old from Ames Iowa, who competes in badminton, racquetball, and track. He also won this year’s Iowa State Games Athlete of the Year.
The sports included in the competition include:
- Archery
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Cycling
- Golf
- Horseshoes
- Pickleball
- Race Walk
- Racquetball
- Road Race
- Shuffleboard
- Softball
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Triathlon
- Volleyball
- and Judo (Demo Sport)
Each athlete must qualify for their event the previous year at the State Qualifying Games. For most of the sports, the top 4 finishers in each age group qualify for Nationals.
Every two years, the games rotate from city to city. Birmingham was this year’s lucky selection, an ideal location because of the diverse entertainment, cuisine, and nightlife. With the large presence, this event attracts, the estimated economic impact for our city is around $38million.
Interested in more than just watching? There are over 8,000 volunteer time slots for those wanting to help out. For more information on volunteering, click here.
