Archive for March, 2011

Superduper world-class masters hurdle field set for Mt. SAC Relays

I’ll go out on a limb here: The field that Richard Holmes has assembled for the 110-meter masters hurdles exhibition at the Mt. SAC Relays in April may rival the M40 final at Sacramento worlds. Here’s his lineup: himself, M40 world record holder David Ashford, Derek Pye, Jerome Millet, 2009 champ Rod Jett, Peter Grimes, […]

March 20, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Eurovets do results right: Sophisticated website makes search easy

I’m not sure how fast marks are being posted, but the web portal in Gent, Belgium, for the five-day European Masters Indoor Championships looks very efficient and comprehensive. One hopes their timing systems are better than America’s. See results here. You can look at any day’s events, and then drill down to specific rounds and […]

March 19, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  10 Comments

1956 high jump Olympian making masters comeback in hammer

Being reborn in masters track isn’t new. But being reborn as a hammer thrower is novel, especially if you were an Olympic high jumper. Meet Ann Marie Flynn, a W70 thrower who was profiled in her local Connecticut newspaper on Thursday. She says: “Even 50 years later, it’s still enjoyable to go out and compete […]

March 19, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Shades of Landover snafu: ‘All 60m races currently under review’

Two years ago at Landover masters indoor nationals, the timing company made such a hash of results that USATF Masters national chairman Gary Snyder apologized and the USATF Masters Track & Field Committee pledged, “Never again.” Don’t look now, but we have “again.” As many of you have noticed, results from Albuquerque nationals include a […]

March 18, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  27 Comments

Masters fantasy: Being treated like elites with USATF travel stipends

At Lahti worlds, a group of U.S. athletes gathered to plot how to improve their lot. Leader was Anselm LeBourne, who called a vote and gave the group a name: USAMA. Among its ideas was finding a way to squeeze USATF for some travel money. I’m reminded of this by recent USATF announcement: “In 2011, […]

March 17, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  28 Comments

Olga Kotelko to star at Kamloops nationals — and in BBC profile

W90 superstar Olga Kotelko is competing this weekend at Canadian masters indoor nationals at Kamloops — site of last year’s indoor worlds. According to the local paper, Olga “is scheduled to compete in the 60, 200, 400, high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put and weight throw.” Whew! And she just turned 92. But […]

March 16, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Back to the future: German poobahs decree masters starts at 40

Once upon a time, before 2004, masters track began for men at 40 and women at 35. Now masters is 35-and-up, period. But German track enchiladas apparently want to turn back the clock. According to posts on the Koops’ site, Eurovets president Dieter Massin is fighting a decision to spike the 30-34 and 35-39 age […]

March 15, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

But for pace, Pete Magill might have tickled own M45 record in 5K

Pete Magill turns 50 on June 19. “And I can’t wait!” he writes in reply to questions in the wake of his huge 14:45 over the weekend in an open 5K in Los Angeles. But was he surprised to drop a single-age record early in track season? Nope. “I entered myself at 14:45, because that’s […]

March 14, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Pete Magill clocks 14:45 for 5000 three months before turning 50

Pete Magill didn’t get the memo that the last year of your age group is for kicking back. Instead, he’s kicking butt. Last night at the Oxy Distance Carnival in Los Angeles, he ran 5000 meters in 14:45.88, a single-age record for 49-year-olds. (Pete Mundle lists the old record as 14:46.66 by Mexico’s Antonio Villuenevo […]

March 12, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  27 Comments

Penn Relays poised for next Bill Collins world age-group record

Bill Collins, lissen up. Time to focus on Penn. Three years ago, you ran the 100 in 11.44 seconds there — a world record. Now you’re 60, and the time to beat is 11.70. That’s the M60 WR set by Britain’s Ronald Taylor in 1994. So how to enter? Glad you asked! Penn Relays masters […]

March 12, 2011   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments