Archive for November, 2014

National T&F Hall of Fame should be pulled amid Armory shame

Fourteen years ago today, USATF announced plans to put the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in the Armory track complex in Manhattan. Then-CEO Craig Masback said: “We believe that we will immediately establish ourselves as the most-visited sports Hall of Fame in the world, based on the number of athlete/participants who visit the […]

November 30, 2014   Posted in: Uncategorized  13 Comments

$400 in prize money at New England USATF masters indoor meet

Mike Travers passes the word that the New England Masters Indoor Championships on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, will be offering prize money! “Tentatively — best age-graded performance (male) $150 and 2nd place $50. Best age-graded performance (female) $150 and 2nd place $50.” Any entrant is eligible for the loot, not just New England USATF members, […]

November 30, 2014   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Kathy Martin adds cross country award to 2014 superseason

Kathy Martin, to nobody’s surprise, has been named female Masters Harrier of the Year. Her male counterpart is Simon Gutierrez, an M45 legend. Kathy, 62, has now won the award eight times — more than anyone else in history. I normally don’t showcase XC. But the amazing thing about Kathy is she doesn’t take a […]

November 29, 2014   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Masters media and marketing: Time to join the 21st century

Bob Weiner of the Masters T&F Media Subcommittee has posted his annual report. It looks great — tons of traditional media (print, broadcast outlets and media websites) showcasing our sport and stars (especially our centenarian and M90 relayists). But like a 4×100 without a baton — something major is missing: social media. Not once in […]

November 28, 2014   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Irene Obera’s goal for 2015: WMA Female Athlete of the Year

Irene Obera, whose W80 debut season saw her break nine world records, has set her sights higher in 2015: WMA World’s Best Masters Athlete. That’s what her training partner Alan Kolling says in the 7-minute video below. It’s a beaut, showing Irene stretching, striding and doing hurdle drills. She also tells how Wilma Rudolph gave […]

November 27, 2014   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Don’t bother trying this at home: Mini leg presses of 1,648 pounds

Roald Bradstock, the javelin Olympian who competed in the British Olympic Trials at age 50, is known for throwing crazy objects. This time, at 52, he amazes with his legwork. He writes: “Two-time Olympian, former World Javelin Record Holder and current World Masters (M50) Record Holder Roald Bradstock does 1648 lbs for 15 reps on […]

November 26, 2014   Posted in: Uncategorized  20 Comments

USATF battles over board as Anaheim annual convention nears

In recent weeks, a war has erupted over proposed changes in the USATF board of directors. Masters T&F lost its direct representation in 2008, when committee chairs including our Gary Snyder were kicked off the board and replaced by Willie Banks, who did double duty, representing Associations and Masters. I’m not sure how the latest […]

November 25, 2014   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

National Senior Games beat Sochi for Best Multi-Sport Event

I guess we know how to put on a show. According to a recent release by the NSGA, “The 2013 National Senior Games Presented by Humana has been voted ‘Best Multi- Sport or Multi-Discipline Event’ in a prestigious annual awards poll hosted by SportsTravel magazine. … Online voting was open to membership and the public. […]

November 24, 2014   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

California Dreamin’: 4 San Diego summer all-comers revealed

This is dedicated to our frozen East Coast friends. Paul Greer of the San Diego TC writes: “The 2015 Summer Nights Track and Field Series Schedule has been finalized…. Again our mission is to promote track and field to our wonderful community and my hope is this series of events held during the summer season […]

November 23, 2014   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Junior Olympics vs. masters nationals: Who will have juice in Jax?

The day after 2015 masters nationals end in Jacksonville in July, the National Junior Olympics begin. Oughta be interesting to compare our times! But the big news is that masters and munchkins will share in a $125,000 windfall. The local paper says: “To aid the effort, the Duval County Tourist Development Council on Thursday awarded […]

November 22, 2014   Posted in: Uncategorized  16 Comments