Archive for October, 2012

To our friends battling miseries in the East: How can we help?

Nothing I’ve seen or read does justice to the immensity of Superstorm Sandy. But as we learned from multi-eventer Robert Baker and his Katrina ordeal, we masters athletes overcome all adversity. So I hope my Eastern friends, especially those in New York and New Jersey, are finding power, water and hope in these ugly days. […]

October 31, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

USATF Masters T&F Committee to pick new secretary in December

Phil Byrne, chair of the USATF Masters Track & Field Nominating Committee, notes that quadrennial elections will be held at the December annual meeting, with one opening that needs filling: secretary. Phil writes: “We, in the Masters Division, will also be holding our elections for officers and other positions (active athlete representative, WMA delegates and […]

October 30, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Pete Magill takes fourth overall in L.A. Halloween Half-Marathon

First place went to a 30-year-old. Second was an 18-year-old. Then came as 30-year-old. And then WHAT?????? — 51-year-old Pete Magill. Pete was scary fast at the Los Angeles Halloween Half-Marathon on Sunday, running 13.1 miles in 1 hour, 10 minutes and 19 seconds. That’s only 5 1/2 minutes behind the winner. And in the […]

October 29, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

India still playing games with team sent to international meets?

I hate the way this is worded: “An income tax officer from Palghar division in Thane district has been selected to represent the country in the 17th Asia Masters Athletics Championships to be held in Taipei, China, from November 2 to 7. Snehal Rajput will participate in the 80 metres hurdles and 400 metres hurdles […]

October 27, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Stones again Patch together major awards in San Diego Press Club

My wife beat me again. As she did last year, when Chris won three first-place awards for her photos in the San Diego Press Club journalism contest, she again kicked my butt Tuesday night. She won two first-place plaques to my one. I got a second and a third as well — as I report […]

October 24, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  12 Comments

Cycling shrink Steve Peters to do mental magic with UK T&F, too

Athletics Weekly — the British version of Track & Field News — reports that sprint legend Steve Peters, a renowned sports psychiatrist, has been named to the UKA Performance team. In other words, he gets to advise the British Olympic track team. What took so long? AW says: “Peters, who has spent the last decade […]

October 22, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Have any T&F books or documents to donate to major library?

TAFWA (Track and Field Writers of America) says efforts are afoot to establish a major track and field library and archives somewhere. My latest TAFWA newsletter reports: “There is not a library dedicated to track and field in America, but three are now in the works. To be precise, there is a TF library in […]

October 21, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Advice on 2013 worlds in Porto Alegre: best flights and visas, etc.

Dave Ortman in Seattle has done some research on the WMA world meet next year in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Here is what he found (with a West Coast perspective): “Flights: WMA has managed to select a city that adds significantly to the cost of getting there. Frequent Flyer awards: There are no frequent flyer awards […]

October 17, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  31 Comments

One guess on which M50 beat all M45s and most M40s at XC

Three days after Saturday’s 5K cross country masters nationals in San Diego, results are posted on usatf.org. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of entrants were Californians. Also no surprise about how one runner did. 5K legend Pete Magill won M50 in 16:31, which would have won M45 by 19 seconds. His time was only 17 seconds […]

October 16, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Masters legend Boo Morcom dies at 91; Hall of Famer as jumper

The Concord Monitor shares sad news. Olympic vaulter Albert Richmond “Boo” Morcom, a Masters Hall of Famer, died Oct. 3 at age 91. He competed into the 1990s. His Wikipedia entry included this quote: “I went to 105 different countries. I won records everywhere. I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt and caught malaria. […]

October 11, 2012   Posted in: Uncategorized  14 Comments