USATF is go-to source for masters meet calendars
This afternoon in a small town south of San Francisco, the 2007 U.S. track season draws to a close. Los Gatos High School, site of a Western Regional Masters Championships about 10 years ago, will host an “All-Comer Distance Meet and Special Event Meet” with an entry fee of $5 per athlete. Such a deal. Events are the 100, 800, 1500, mile, 3000 and pole vault. “(Some) high school runners, open and masters are welcome to compete,” says one blurb. How do I know about this meet? It’s in the USATF event calendar. Several years ago, my co-webmaster, Dave Clingan, discovered that it didn’t make sense to create a USA meet calendar from scratch when we could just link to USATF’s comprehensive database of masters meets.
Our meet calendar still gives lots of information on specific meets, but most of these are “featured” at a one-time cost of $15. But Dave offers this more as a promotional service than a profit effort. In fact, the same page that tells you how to submit a meet listing on masterstrack.com also contains a link to the official USATF event submission form.
The main advantage of our meet calendar over USATF’s is its organization by region (and then by state), making it easier for you to go straight to the meets you’re interested in than having to plug in a bunch of specs in the entry database.
Still, I don’t mind giving some blog pop to upcoming meets when info is sent to me directly.
For example:
Feb. 10, 2008: Mid America Region and Colorado Association Masters and Open Indoor Championships, Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, contact Jim Weed 303 451 8727 or Jerry/Christel Donley 719 635 1264
And I learn from George Mathews : “It’s my understanding that the Hayward Classic in Eugene, Oregon, will be the weekend of 8/1-3. After extensive improvements for our Olympic Trials, I think many people will want to be there.”
And Brian Keaveney, president of Canadian masters, says: “The Canadian Championships are the week before the US (in Spokane). The dates are August 1-3. The two meet directors are in contact with each other and a website link will be established.”
George also writes:
We have decided that the 2008 National Weight and Superweight Championships will be held on Friday, September 5, at West Seattle Stadium, Seattle, Wash.
The Ultra Weight will be held on Saturday, September 6, at the same location.
Also at that location we will have the Northwest Regional Masters Track & Field Championships / Seattle Masters Classic on July 19 and 20th.
Also at that location we will have the Seattle Masters Spring Fling and Racewalk on April 26.”
So that’s a start. Have a busy 2008!
Related posts:
- Crowd-source me! How do you rate National Senior Games meet?
- Source: Masters shot field to showcase some of nation’s best
- Masters Athlete to add calendars, results and track blog
- Info on SoCal Association USATF Masters meet
- Another source for meets that accept masters
7 Responses
Isn’t there a “meet the masters meet” in Santa Barbara on 12/8 ?
FR: David E. Ortman (M54) Seattle, WA
O.K. WHERE is the Canadian National Masters meet in 2008?
Perspiring minds want to know.
The 2008 Canadian meet is going to be in Regina, Saskatchewan.
FR: David E. Ortman (M54) Seattle, WA
“It’s in the USATF event calendar. Several years ago, my co-webmaster, Dave Clingan, discovered that it didn’t make sense to create a USA meet calendar from scratch when we could just link to USATF’s comprehensive database of masters meets.”
Ummm. So how come its nearly the end of November and only ONE outdoor masters T&F meet is on the “comprehensive” USATF meet data base?
Perspiring minds want to know.
I have continued to post the North American All Comer Meet Directory (this winter’s schedule is soon to go on line) at http://www.trackinfo.org
I still do this independent of the USATF site because they tend to eliminate unsanctioned meets. Granted, we would prefer Masters set their record marks in a meet where we know the timing and officiating is up to standard.
But for all comers meets, which are like practice competition (and are frequently fundraisers) lots of hosting schools tend to bypass expensive things like sanctions. The officials are frequently volunteers–yes, some people still work for free to support a track meet. And its not like those volunteers are unqualified, more than one of those volunteers around here have Olympic medals. Running in these meets has also provided me with the opportunity to compete against Olympians of several different eras.
Some people even ask, how are all comer meets so cheap? Simple. They eliminate expenses. As the host of their own events, they get the facilities for free and don’t give out much in the way of awards. When we put on a Masters only meet as outsiders to the facility, we have to pay for every little thing and have to recoup those expenses from a smaller crowd.
Most of the time, when one of these meets exists, it is because of one inspired coach who wants to use it as a training element for the team and its crew. In some cases, that has inspired a long standing tradition that collects support.
Operating a small meet is not a crime and should not be ignored. As long as USATF fails to recognize these meets, I will continue to research them and post them on my site. Frankly, I would much rather have a big professional organization take over the load and relieve me of this work, but there is no money in doing so.
Until then, my research is dependent on sources of information. Lots of meet directors tell me about their meets, but I continue to find out about others after the fact. Of course, I can’t be everywhere in North America–I post what I know.
Over my long T&F career, not much has changed–we tend to promote by word of mouth on a very small scale. If you are already connected, you know what is going on. If you aren’t, obviously you get left out. I try to do my part to break this log jam. If you know of a meet that lets people off the street enter, please send me the information or better yet, put the meet director in contact with me so I get the best information and details. info (at sign) trackinfo.org
The Meet the Masters Meet in Santa Barbara is apparently cancelled this year. The coach who put that on in the past has moved to a different university and I have not heard his succesors want to go through the work to put it on. It was primarily a throws meet, with very few other field event participation and one odd race.
Long Beach State is usually the home of All Comers meets, and will host a similar Distance Carnival on December 14. That will be the last meet at Long Beach State for quite some time as they are going to revamp their track stadium for the next several months. There will be no Winter All Comers meets at LBSU this year.
The Head Coach at Long Beach State, Andy Sythe, graduated from Los Gatos High School (where incidentally, as a cross league competitor, ran my last League Finals in High School). Unlike my eternally pathetic alma mater, LGHS has been a track powerhouse team since it started its series of All Comer meets back in the 70′s. Funny how those traditions transfer from generation to generation and location to location. The tradition of All Comer meets continues this winter on every Saturday in January and February.
If you are a high school coach, you might think about starting a series of all comer meets–particularly if there is not such a series in your area. When you do, please let me know so I can help get the word out.
While I am talking to coaches: I might be preaching at the choir here, but those old masters athletes that are training on your track are a great resource of knowledge. It also provides the students with a great message about maintaining their fitness into adulthood. Whether you get an official assistant coach or just a few good words of advice out of it, make friends with those folks, don’t kick them off the track.
Sorry for rambling. This has been my post for this month. We now return you to your regular blog.
The USATF calendar is mostly filled with events entered after sanctioning. However, any meet can post information self-service on the schedule. Non-sanctioned events are not eliminated as far as I know.
If there is only 1 outdoor meet, then only that director has posted his event.
I’ll add some events I find in New England, but there is no one individual responsible for seeking out and entering meets. Someone has to do the work. Andrew said small meets are being ignored, but just who does he propose search out meets nationwide? If they’re not on the schedule, then add them yourself!
Steve
Aw, this was a really quality post. In theory I’d like to write like this too – taking time and real effort to make a good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and never seem to get something done.
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