Here it is. The science of old man strength

That’s true to some extent, but I think it’s still present in terms of willingness and ability to actually push yourself up to and past your limits. Even (or maybe especially?) with two people of world class genetics and training, winning a race can in the end come down to who’s better equipped mentally to handle more physical suffering. Although even then there are some people who are just so dominant that they simply aren’t suffering as much as everyone else.