Archive for January, 2006

M80 world record has miles to go before ratification

Last May, John Keston, an 80-year-old Oregon man, ran a mile in 6:48.3. It smashed the listed M80 world outdoor best by 63 seconds. A slam dunk for an American record? Not by a long shot. John averaged 1:42 a lap at the Oregon Relays on May 14, 2005. How fast is that? Only six […]

January 9, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Coming this spring: New improved masterstrack.com

Sharp eyes may have noticed that our home page now registers 800,000-plus views on the hit counter. It’s kind of bogus, since we reached that figure years ago sitewide. But 800K looks cool. How many times has the whole site been accessed since December 1999 (when Dave Clingan and I merged our sites)? I haven’t […]

January 8, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

The best use of your medals! Motivating others!

Nearly 10 years ago, a church friend of ours had a serious stroke. Paralyzed on one side of his body, Don could barely speak, couldn’t walk and struggled to be understood. But he communicated through moans and smiles. I volunteered to take him to pool rehab. I helped him changed into his trunks, and accompanied […]

January 7, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Masters need to act as own press agents

Don’t be shy. Last weekend’s record-setters (Alisa Harvey, Lesley Chaplin-Swann and Neni Lewis) should have topped the News & Notes press release that USATF sends out to a gazillion media contacts. Bob Weiner and his USATF Masters T&F Media Subcommittee do a great job spreading the word around the time of nationals (indoors and out), […]

January 6, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Double records by dynamic duo get short shrift

W40 Alisa Harvey and W45 Leslie Chaplin-Swann did in one meet what few masters runners do in a lifetime: set American age-group records in two events. As the MAC association Web site confirms, Harvey of Virginia and Chaplin-Swann of Georgia made the most of their trip to the Big Apple in late-December, setting records in […]

January 5, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Root, root, root for M75 dashstud Reuter in Europe

M75 German sprinter/jumper Wolfgang Reuter has been named Europe’s “Best Male Veteran” athlete, according to Annette and Robert Koop and the Eurovets Web site. The best European woman is W65 hurdler Rietje Dijkman of Holland, of course. Last year she won Female Athlete of the Year honors from WMA and IAAF.

January 4, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Elites check in with their takes on 200 at nationals

My recent boycott-the-nationals post has prompted a raft of insightful replies — mostly critical of my analysis. That’s fine. The debate is long overdue, and even if I prove to be dead wrong, I’m proud of provoking some careful thinking on an issue that’s pretty much been left to a handful of people. One thoughtful […]

January 4, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

German star Dieter Baumann making a masters comeback?

Dieter Baumann, the German Olympic 5000-meter champ who famously blamed doctored toothpaste for a steroids violation, has run some road races recently as an M40, reports the Track & Field News message board Annette Koop’s masters track “seite” also mentions Baumann’s comeback. Baumann’s third-place finish in a New Year’s Eve race is described on the […]

January 3, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Yes, we are chopped liver — if we swallow the myths

So Mark Cleary and others insist that their hands are tied — that meet directors of the USA open nationals allow only running events from 100 to the mile in the masters exhibitions. No field events. Mark and others insist that they’re under orders to “present fields that please meet directors.” OK, fine. But I […]

January 2, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Invitational program pits age groups against each other

Happy new year! And welcome to the new world order of Mark Cleary’s Masters Invitational Program. These are races (never field events) conducted as exhibition events at the USATF open indoor and outdoor nationals (and a select few other meets, such as Millrose and the Drake Relays). After several years of being hammered for catering […]

January 1, 2006   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments