Archive for July, 2016

Masters LDR offers Perth travel grants to nonstadia athletes

Three months ago, we reported how the USATF Masters T&F Committee was offering travel grants to help cut costs for medal-potential Americans headed for Perth worlds starting in late October. Now the Masters LDR Committee is jumping on the bandwagon. Here are details. (But it wasn’t immediately clear whether LDR will match the $5,000 overall […]

July 11, 2016   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Melitta Nagel’s W85 world record in 5K highlights German nationals

Italy and Germany wrapped up their masters nationals Sunday, with expected turnouts of 1,300 and 2,000, respectively. (USATF nationals are just over 1,000. Go figure.) At least one world record is reported: Germany’s Melitta Cerwenka Nagel on Friday ran 5000 meters in 32:29.94 to crush the listed W85 WR of 32:51.05 by Russia’s Nina Naumenko […]

July 10, 2016   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Bernard Lagat’s unbelievable last lap sends him to Rio in 5000

At 2015 Jacksonville nationals, Andre Millar took silver in the M40 400 in 52.92. He wouldn’t have made the final at Lyon worlds, but still not bad. How do we break it to him that a 41-year-old runner ran a faster last lap in a 5,000-meter race Saturday? Such was the amazing kick of Bernard […]

July 9, 2016   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Yup, a 50-year-old man is throwing 16-pound hammer 255 feet

A friend saw it and didn’t believe it. Moscow-born Oleksandr Dryhol (or Drygol), a Ukrainian now throwing for Israel, spun the 16-pound hammer 77.70 meters in June — 254-11. It’s the 10th-best mark in the world this season, in fact. Not a surprise, since he threw at the London Games. The shocker: He turned 50 […]

July 8, 2016   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

1,018 entered at Grand Rapids nationals one week from now

Bob Weiner shares his annual pre-nationals press release. With help from several people, he compiled some great stats. “The nation’s best will be competing at the USA Track & Field Masters Championships at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI, Thursday through Sunday, July 14-17. Forty current world champions and approximately 100 defending US champions […]

July 7, 2016   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

W40 Jo Pavey pounds WR 10K, awaits word on Olympic team

Britain’s Jo Pavey, who turns 43 in September, ran 10,000 meters Wednesday in 31:34.61 at the European championships in Amsterdam, beating the listed W40 world record of 31:40.97 by Russia’s Alla Zhilyayeva in 2009 but falling short of the unratified 31:31.18 by Kenya’s Edith Masai, 40, in 2007. Still, Jo has a chance to improve […]

July 6, 2016   Posted in: Uncategorized  4 Comments

Longtime sprint star Kettrell Berry, 53, found guilty of student sex

This is tough. The jury was out in Kettrell Berry’s student-sex case for so long — more than a week — that his friends clung to hope for an acquittal or a hung jury. But the news arriving Tuesday afternoon was devastating: guilty on 11 felony counts. See story on Times of San Diego. This […]

July 5, 2016   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

Bay Area stars Davey, Paaso take 1500 masters races at Trials

NBC’s Live app failed to show the masters 1500s Sunday at the Olympic Trials, switching to swimming instead. What a missed opportunity. Eugene witnessed incredible races by W45 Kris Paaso, who led from start to finish in winning the masters women’s event in 4:36.34, and M40 Neville Davey, a training mate, taking the men’s event […]

July 3, 2016   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

Hidden in plain sight: Start schedules posted for Grand Rapids

To find the exact starting time of your event at Grand Rapids nationals, don’t go to the Schedule page. Check out the Start Lists. Sneaky, sneaky! Thursday’s track finals include an M65 800 with 18 entrants. Same number in women’s steeple Friday. Those should be interesting. (But it’s a 9-lane track, and they’ll use every […]

July 2, 2016   Posted in: Uncategorized  25 Comments

Mortal but still incredible: Masters fall at the Eugene Olympic Trials

Bernard Lagat is human after all. So are Amy Acuff, Adam Nelson and Reese Hoffa. But Olympic champ Stephanie Brown Trafton advanced to the Olympic Trials discus finals at 36 while AR holder Gia Lewis-Smallwood, another W35, was a DNS in Eugene. In Friday’s 10K final, after bravely going with eventual winner Galen Rupp, Kip […]

July 1, 2016   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments