Archive for December, 2015

Masters events set for IAAF indoor worlds: 800s in M60+ and W55+

WMA has announced details of the masters exhibition events at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon. (See the application form.) This is great news for the older age groups: “The events are the 800m for men 60 and over, and the 800m for women 55 and over. Invitations will be extended to […]

December 10, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Bragging rights to whoever is first to identify this handsome gent

Dave Albo shot the USATF Mid-America Masters regionals in late August, and one of his best images showed a shot-putter at moment of chalky release, wearing a T-shirt that read “I Throw — Therefore I am.” It’s a beaut, and it graces the cover of the current issue of National Masters News. Unfortunately, the publishers […]

December 9, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  11 Comments

Small pot of money will subsidize USATF masters entered in Perth

Great news out of the Houston annual meeting: “A relatively small amount of money has been set aside to support potential [masters] medal winners who would not otherwise be able to afford to go to Perth,” writes throws coordinator Jerry Bookin-Weiner. “There will be an application and selection process with final decisions made by the […]

December 8, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Drug-testing coming to regional meets, masters record-setters

Drug-testing for masters track will expand in 2016 to USATF regional meets indoors and out, and “testing may be conducted at any USATF-sanctioned meet,” says Stephen Cohen, the Illinois lawyer and Midwest Region coordinator who heads the masters T&F anti-doping efforts. That’s the word out of the Houston annual meeting. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) […]

December 7, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  62 Comments

Age-division awards in masters track, LDR revealed at Houston

I’m still waiting on the names of the USATF Masters Hall of Fame Class of 2015. (I know of one so far, since he emailed me.) But the slate of age-division Athletes of the Year was announced Saturday at the Houston annual meeting. They include three of my Striders teammates: Rita Hanscom, Linda Cohn and […]

December 6, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Mac Wilkins seeks kidney donor for sports legend Gideon Ariel

Gideon Ariel, a two-time Olympian for Israel (1960 and 1964), is better-known as a sports scientist who helped Mac Wilkins (1976 Olympic discus champion, 1984 silver) and Al Oerter in his 40s. Now he’s in desperate need of help himself. He must get a new kidney. Mac, now coaching at the Olympic Training Center near […]

December 5, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Landover lands 2018 USATF masters indoor nationals, beats N.C.

The Masters T&F Committee, meeting at the USATF annual shindig in Houston, voted Friday morning to award the 2018 masters indoor national championships to Landover, Maryland. This will be the third Landover nationals, following the fiasco of 2009 (when results were botched and even made up at several points) and 2013 (when everything was fixed). […]

December 4, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  18 Comments

Kiwi M75 thrower reported in critical condition after being hit by shot

We’re keeping our fingers crossed for M75 thrower Bruce Clarke of New Zealand, who on Friday was hit by a shot during warmups for the North Island Masters Athletics Championships in Auckland. “It is understood he was in a critical condition after the accident and he is still in hospital in Auckland,” the local paper […]

December 3, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

In curveball, Kip Lagat named USATF Masters Athlete of the Year

Last winter and spring, when M40 Bernard “Kip” Lagat was crushing mile and other records, I thought: What a shame he won’t win masters end-of-year awards. I thought wrong. Tuesday in Houston, site of the USATF annual meeting, Kip was named Masters Athlete of the Year. Turns out the Masters T&F Committee and Masters LDR […]

December 2, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  7 Comments

Famed Bob Boal [Southeastern] Masters Meet goes dark in 2016

After nationals and maybe the Hayward Masters Classic, arguably the best masters meet in the country is the venerable Bob Boal event in North Carolina, aka the USATF Southeastern Masters Regional Championships. But many were dismayed a couple weeks ago to learn the meet has been canceled for 2016. No reason was given publicly until […]

December 1, 2015   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments