Archive for July, 2010

More than 200 expected at Western States masters invitational

This morning I competed at the California State Games masters meet at Balboa Stadium (scene of some Jim Ryun mile records) in San Diego. New track. Low turnout. Maybe 40 people showed. Lots of leftover PowerAde bottles. But it was a gorgeous cool day, and overcast. By contrast, the 3rd annual Western States Masters International […]

July 9, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  9 Comments

Going to Sacramento? Check this offbeat guide to California capital

Bob Weiner, the USATF masters media guru, and his wife, Pat Berg, found a website that creates customized travel guides. Check out this 64-page PDF, which they generated for their Sacramento trip. The info is supercurrent and doesn’t miss a lick. (I know Sacto. My brother-in-law once lived in Sacramento, and often saw then-Gov. Jerry […]

July 9, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

M45 heart-stopper David Heath: ‘I do love beating the youngsters!’

Oops, I goofed. While researching M45 middle-distance star David Heath for a recent blog entry, I came across a bio that placed him in London. Actually, he lives in France. And that’s not the only revelation from a quickie Q&A I had with Monsieur David. He writes: “I had a heart attack at the end […]

July 8, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

9 Olympians counted for Sacramento — am I missing any names?

I’m preparing a press release for USATF on Sacramento masters nationals. One of my duties is listing the Olympians entered. I count nine hidden in the Status of Entries: triple jumper Tiombe Hurd, hurdler Cherrie Sherrard, sprinter Lorna Forde, javelinist Bud Held, hammer hero Ed Burke, hurdler Henry Andrade, high jumper Trish Porter, triple jumper […]

July 7, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments

Merlene Ottey lowers own W50 world record in 100 to 11.84

This is getting ridiculous. Merlene Ottey (running undercover as Marlene Ottey) ran a legal 100 meters June 26 in 11.84 seconds at Maribor, Slovenia. (See results here.) That lowers the yet-to-be-listed W50 world record of 11.95 she ran a month ago, which shattered the listed WR of 12.50 by Phil Raschker in 1997. If Merlene […]

July 7, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

USATF awards masters cash from Excellence Challenge Grants

(Updated to remove references to USATF Foundation) USA Track & Field’s Board of Directors have loosened the purse strings for masters track. See this announcement. “The USATF Masters Track & Field Committee was awarded $11,900 in support of the Masters Track & Field-Recruiting New Members initiative,” says a press release. “The grant will fund the […]

July 7, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

UK’s Cecilia Morrison claims W70 world records for 1500, 5000

Mary Harada did it. Neni Lewis did it. Now Cecilia Morrison of Britain has done it — smashed world records within days of entering a new age group. Running at British masters nationals over the weekend in Cardiff, Cecilia took big bites off the W70 world records for 1500 and 5000. (Results are here.) On […]

July 7, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Britain’s Jeff Battista gets 4 Lahti gold medals forfeited by Barnwell

Tom Phillips, our fast fotog friend, shares this touching story from last weekend’s British masters nationals: “There was . . . high emotion in Cardiff when British masters president, Olympic hammer thrower Paul Dickenson, presented four Lahti gold medals to M50 sprinter Jeff Battista. These were, of course, the four medals he was deprived by […]

July 7, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Sacramento nationals to charge athletes for parking: $13 pass

Oshkosh masters nationals outraged athletes last summer by charging family members just to watch. They also had parking fees. I doubt Sacramento will charge admission, but now we know what parking will cost: $13 for a week’s pass or $6 a day. That’s the word from Bob Burns, one of the meet organizers. (He works […]

July 6, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  71 Comments

100-yard dash is back! Mt. SAC all-comers going old-school

Mt. San Antonio College is catering to masters this summer with an all-comers series that includes the 100-yard dash July 7 and July 21. Anyone under 40 might wonder: What is 100 yards? What is that in meters? (It’s 91.44, FYI.) For the boomers who ran the 100 back in the day, however, this could […]

July 6, 2010   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments