Researchers tracked a select group of elite runners capable and found they could live around 5 years longer on average than the general population.     "Outrunning the grim reaper": Extreme exercise may boost longevity A new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine challenges the idea that extreme exercise may do more harm than good. The research suggests that elite runners capable of running a sub-4-minute mile may actually live up to 5 years longer than the general population. The study, led by sports cardiologist André la Gerche, PhD, tracked the first 200 male runners to achieve this remarkable feat. The participants, born between 1928 and 1955, were from 28 different countries across North America, Europe, Oceania, and Africa. At the study's conclusion, the researchers found that the average age of death for the elite runners was 73 years