Archive for June, 2010

Kathy Bergen, Christel Donley claim American records at Pasadena

Kathy Bergen — despite an injured hammie — cleared 1.25 meters (4-1 1/4) today in the high jump at the California Senior Games at Caltech. That beat the listed W70 American record of 1.22 (4-0) by Leonore McDaniels in 1998. (The listed world record is 1.27 (4-2) by Christiane Schmalbruch in 2007.) Kathy already has […]

June 5, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  15 Comments

At Oslo, Bernard Lagat smashes American open record for 5000

Bernard Lagat is becoming our Geb. Tonight at the IAAF Diamond League meet in Oslo, the M35 superstar claimed the U.S. national record for 5000 meters by clocking 12:54.12. That beats the listed American open record of 12:56.27 by Dathan Ritzenhein in 2009 and the M35 world record of 13:07.40 by Dieter Baumann. The listed […]

June 4, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

James Lofton back in the game: runs 12.48 at San Diego all-comers

James Lofton, the humble NFL Hall of Famer, entered his first meet in a while Wednesday — the San Diego Summer Nights all-comers at Cathedral Catholic High School. Not a bad return at age 54. He clocked a 12.48 (auto-timed) in the 100 — into a wind. More than an hour later, he started the […]

June 4, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Masters 100 exhibitions at USA open nationals are in jeopardy

Last June, Duane Gosa upset Robert Thomas in the masters 400 exhibition at the USATF nationals in Eugene. It was one of the best showcase races ever contested at USA nationals. But this year, the masters men’s event — a 100-meter dash — is threatened with cancellation. So says world champ Robert himself. He’s now […]

June 3, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  28 Comments

Geb finally rates M35 WR in the marathon, but many still wait

In its “20 May 2010” update, World Masters Athletics finally joins the reality-based world. Haile Gebrselassie, who holds the IAAF world record in the marathon, is listed as the M35 world record holder as well. (His 2:03:59 at the Berlin Marathon in September 2008 at age 35 was ignored for nearly two years.) But you […]

June 3, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Karen Steen, Cheryl Bellaire burn superfast miles a country apart

Three days and nearly 3,000 miles apart, W45 Karen Steen and W50 Cheryl Bellaire ran some beautifical miles. On May 23, Dr. Bellaire, 51, delivered a 5:34.83 at the 23rd annual Millersville Mile about 75 miles west of Philadelphia. On May 26, Karen clocked a 5:11.2 mile at an all-comers meet in Shoreline, Washington. Karen’s […]

June 2, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments

Orville Rogers didn’t get the memo on having to do longer races

In track, conventional wisdom dictates that as you age, you go for longer distances. Milers move up to 5K, and 10K’ers try the marathon, for example. (Even Carl Lewis is infected. He’s training for a marathon in 2012, when he turns 50.) But Orville Rogers, a world recordman in the middle distances, is going in […]

June 1, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Papa Bell, in his late 80s, keeps ringing up awesome vault marks

Three years ago, Dr. William Bell set an M85 world indoor record in the vault at Boston nationals. He went 2.44 (8-0). Now 88, Papa Bell (father of Olympian Earl Bell) cleared 2.29 (7-6) at the Bell Athletics indoor facility Sunday in Jonesboro, Arkansas, according to a masters mole. He was taking part in the […]

June 1, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments