Archive for March, 2010

Kamloops WR man Chris Bates hoping to reshuffle M45 dec

Reason 2,132 why I love track: people coming out of the woodwork to surprise us all. On the kiddie level, this happens all the time. But I really dig it when “unknowns” shock the masters world. Such is the story of Christopher Bates of Oregon. Although I’ve had email contact with Chris in recent months, […]

March 18, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  17 Comments

Canadian masters president puts Kamloops races on YouTube

Paul Osland, president of Canadian masters track, has posted a bunch of race videos from Kamloops. He also wrote a final report on the ‘Loops experience (something our own prez should emulate). Paul began: “The WMA 2010 World Masters Indoor Championships have now come to a close. This was my first indoor World Championships; I […]

March 18, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Cooler heads prevail: Sacramento gets loan for WMA 2011 worlds

Today’s Sacramento Bee carries the resolution to the funding-2011-worlds issue. We’re safe. “The Sacramento City Council will provide $400,000 in loans from the city parking fund to help finance preparations for the World Masters Athletics Championships in Sacramento next year,” says the Bee. “Unanimous council support during Tuesday night’s meeting means organizers of the premier […]

March 17, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

Brooklyn photo exhibit features masters track in ‘Racing Age’ show

Angela Jimenez, a former Penn heptathlete (late 1990s), has been following masters track in recent years — as a photojournalist and fine-art photographer. She shot 2007 Riccione worlds and 2009 Landover nationals, in fact. More recent images were used in the August 2009 New York Times story on geezer doping. Now she’s going to exhibit […]

March 17, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

With Barnwell expunged, WMA posts corrected results for Lahti

World Masters Athletics has posted new results for the events Val Barnwell took part in at Lahti, Finland. See the redo here. Val’s suspension for a drug positive at Lahti worlds means everyone behind him moves up a spot, but WMA President Stan Perkins has decided (on his own authority?) to let Val’s M50 teammates […]

March 16, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Oregon Invitational Masters Mile again looks for 16 good men

Dave Clingan, my partner in crime, writes: “Time to start thinking about the 2010 Oregon Invitational Masters Mile– to be held this year during the Portland Track Festival in the evening on Saturday, June 12 at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore. Last year’s mile was a big success and space is limited. There […]

March 16, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Mt. SAC Relays adding masters hammer throw to April festival

Hammer throwers, start your windups! A major elite invitational is carving room for you on its dance card. Ron Kamaka, an assistant track coach at Mt. San Antonio College, writes regarding the lineup of masters exhibitions at the April 16-17 Mt. SAC Relays. They are the men’s and women’s 800, men’s 4×800 relay, men’s hammer […]

March 16, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Sacramento sweating bullets? Budget ills could kill 2011 worlds

Sorry about the doom-and-gloom headline. But this bears watching. The Sacramento Bee reports today: “Sacramento is set to host a premier international track and field event next year that officials say could pump $24 million into the local economy and draw thousands of athletes from more than 81 countries. But first, local organizers say they […]

March 16, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Bernard Lagat demolishes M35 world indoor record for 3000

In 2002, Germany’s Dieter Baumann ran a 3K indoors in 7:40.68 — an M35 world record. It’s been untouchable ever since. But Bernard Lagat turned 35 in mid-December 2009. So bye-bye, Dieter. Here’s how USATF reported Bernard’s run today in Doha, Qatar: “Six years after first winning the men’s 3,000m at a World Indoor Championships, […]

March 14, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

M50 ‘unknown’ sets 800-meter indoor world record in Belgium

At Lahti worlds, I was glued to the main stadium, so I didn’t witness races at the other track called Radiomaki. Missed some great 800s, including Anselm LeBourne’s close M50 loss to Belgium’s Andre Lafere, 2:00.99 to 2:01.40. Well, maybe I didn’t know Lafere, but now the world does. Andre broke American Steve Gallegos’ listed […]

March 14, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments