Archive for February, 2009

Exclusive flashback: Bill Cosby in masters relay at Penn 1985

Through the magic of video sharing, we can now see Bill Cosby running at the 1985 Penn Relays  (not 1988 as labeled) in a race staged for his sitcom. (Click here for the video.) It’s a two-team race in which Cosby (as Dr. Heathcliff “Combustible” Huxtable) runs the anchor leg of a 4Ă—4.  I timed […]

February 16, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Tony Deatherage, former Dallas Masters sprinter, dies at 72

Wayne Bennett passes along the sad news that his friend and former masters sprinter Tony Deatherage died last week at age 72. His funeral is set for today in Wichita Falls, Texas, according to this newspaper obituary.  Wayne writes: “Tony was a longtime member of the Dallas Masters Track and Field Club and a very […]

February 15, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Tony Young’s latest (non) world indoor record: 1:55.7 800

Tony Young, 46, collected another never-to-be-ratified world indoor record yesterday at the Husky Invitational at the University of Washington, running 800 meters in an astounding 1:55.70 on its “oversized” 307-meter track. The listed M45 world indoor record is 1:56.29 by Anselm LeBourne in 2005. The video below shows Tony (in trademark Northwest orange top) going […]

February 15, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  16 Comments

USATF posts photo gallery of masters at cross nationals

Victah Sailer, one of the best track/running photographers in the world, shot the USATF cross country nationals a week ago in Maryland. Check out this gallery of masters men and women. Names of the runners can be revealed by clicking on caption below right of the images. I’m curious if the Marc Bloom shown running […]

February 14, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Germany’s Wissing pushes W75 shot WR past 8 meters

Germany’s economy shrank 2.1 percent in the last quarter of 2008. But their masters tracksters aren’t moping. W75 thrower  Susanne Wissing of Germany apparently celebrated her birthday with a world indoor record in the shot Saturday, say German sources. She hit a big 8.88 meters (29-1 3/4) to demolish the listed world age-group record of […]

February 14, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Affordable Lahti lodging options popping up, site suggests

Is Lahti loosening up?  Appears so from the 2009 WMA worlds website, which has a big blue headline: “Accommodation in all categories available in Lahti!” The site declares: “In all accommodation categories in Lahti, in the Lahti region and in Helsinki there are beds available for World Masters Athletics Championships 2009,” including “school housing right […]

February 13, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

WR hurdler Kevin Young in lane next you? It can happen!

Kevin Young, whose 46.78 world record in the 400-meter hurdles may last 50 years, is plotting a masters comeback. That’s the plan anyway. According to this video interview on trackshark.com, Kevin says he’s been in the weight room, lost some fat (by avoiding sweets and refined foods) and that he wants to “challenge myself to be […]

February 12, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Fibbing fish: Jennifer Figge didn’t swim Atlantic at age 56

Ha!  So geezer sprinters aren’t the only ones fudging their marks.  Latest whopper is told by a lady named Jennifer Figge, a W55 fish who generated world headlines for claiming to swim the Atlantic (the first woman to do so. A guy has done it.) But she swam only 250 miles, it turns out. “Over […]

February 12, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

$500 prize again offered at Arizona 800-meter challenge

As he did last year, Doug Thompson is putting on the SISU Foundation 800 Meter Challenge Race. Doug writes: “We have moved the race to May 2, in order to use the Arizona State University track, which has a Mondo surface and a large stadium.  Our updated website is: www.sisu800.com; it’s not 100% complete, but […]

February 11, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

2009 Sydney World Masters Games facing serious questions

The October 2009 World Masters Games in Sydney — competing with Lahti worlds for masters tracksters — face some serious issues. Despite receiving an unusual meet sanction from World Masters Athletics (a possible first in WMA history), Sydney organizers are planning to tweak track rules for their convenience, according to a knowledgeable source. For example, […]

February 11, 2009   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments