Archive for September, 2009
USATF Southern Association a model for outreach, input
I donât live in Louisiana or Mississippi, but I admire their Baton Rouge-based USATF association. Iâm also on their distribution list. The other day, I got email with the subject line âHow are we doing?â and a note headlined âFeedback Survey on Southern Association.â It said: âIn order to continually improve our ability to serve all […]
September 6, 2009
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Untold story of Lahti: Perkins kept his mourning private
August 5 dawned bright in Lahti, Finland, tinged with anticipation. The WMA General Assembly was meeting on a rest day at the World Masters Athletics Championships to elect a new president and other officers. Stan Perkins, running against Ohioâs Rex Harvey, won the presidency by one vote, and smiled as he shook hands with Rex. But amid the celebration […]
September 5, 2009
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Masters legend Harold Morioka faces heart surgery today
Harold at Kamloops in July. Harold Morioka may be the Job of masters track, suffering more than his share of physical afflictions and other issues. Now he faces one of his biggest tests â open-heart surgery today. Harold sent Doug Smith of Ontario a âdear friendsâ letter that ended with this amazing promise: âIâve already […]
September 4, 2009
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25 Comments
Anemic fields likely at 2009 Sydney World Masters Games
On August 2, 2009, the Web site of Octoberâs Sydney World Masters Games reported: âMinister for Tourism Jodi McKay tonight announced that Sydney is on track to stage the largest ever World Masters Games this October with more than 28,000 people having registered for the event. . . âAt last count we had 28,091 people registered […]
September 4, 2009
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Rob Thomas to Anselm’s group: Zip your lips (and keyboard)
A perpetual argument in masters track is how to bring about change â from within the âsystemâ or via pressure from without. (Iâve tried both tacks.) Â The late Bob Fine would constantly demand that I âshut up!â and let the leadership handle masters issues in its own time and way. Now world champion sprinter Robert […]
September 3, 2009
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Carmel Papworth-Barnum (and friends at WRT) launch blog
Carmel Papworth-Barnum, recovering from a calf/Achilles injury that kept her out of Lahti worlds, keeps adding great stuff to her Web site, Women Running Together. Her latest feature is a blog that includes her own musings as well as that of South African W60 star Pam Immelman and Dr. Cathy Utzschneider (See the blog here.)Â For […]
September 3, 2009
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Stephanie Hightower flunks outreach to masters tracksters
Last December, USATF president-to-be Stephanie Hightower addressed the USATF Masters T&F Committee at the Reno convention. Among other things, she said: âYou all feel that youâre one of the invisible groups.â She promised to turn that around. This week, she had a grand opportunity to make good on her pledge. Instead, she punted. In a […]
September 2, 2009
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11 Comments
Don Neidig claims American record in 400 at Fort Collins
The Rocky Mountain Masters Games over the weekend in Fort Collins, Colorado, produced some great marks, including a 5.10 vault (16-8 3/4) by 41-year-old Pat Manson, the former world-class athlete now entering masters events. (Meet results are here.)Â Perhaps the star was M65 sprinter Don Neidig, whose 400 time of 57.47 blitzed the listed American […]
September 2, 2009
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12 Comments
W60 world record for 5000 held by three women at once?
Hereâs a trivia question: Who holds the W60 world record for 5,000 meters? Weâre talking the standard outdoor track 5K â none of this roadie nonsense. Easy, you say. Just saunter over to the WMA records page for women. Voila: Itâs Marion Irvine, the legendary running nun from Northern California whose 19:14.8 mark turns 20 […]
September 1, 2009
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Soon-to-be board member of NSGA offers critique of meet
Jerry LeVasseur competed at the National Senior Games last month â as he has for nearly 20 years. But unlike other athletes, he will soon have a place at the table. He will join the NSGA board as its only runner sometime this year. He wrote me that itâs âvery disappointing and an embarrassment that […]
September 1, 2009
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25 Comments