Eurovets go bonkers: stunning WRs in M90, M70 and W50
Tony Young, a spring chicken who turns 47 next month, might take some inspiration from 90-year-old Spanish runner Julián Bernal. A retired policeman from Ferrol in the country’s northwest, Julián clocked an M90 world indoor record for 3,000 meters last weekend at Spanish masters nationals in Zaragoza with a time of 19:59.60. That shatters the listed WR of 23:12.34 by American Frank Levine at Idaho nationals in 2005. But wait! There’s more! German sprint/hurdles god Guido Müller set two indoor WRs in 24 hours at his nationals: 26.92 in the 200 (the first M70 under 27 indoors) and 59.92 in the 400 ( the first sub-60 in his age group indoors or out), lowering the listed record of 61.31 by Canadian Earl Fee a decade ago.
Spaniard Julián Bernal has his eyes set
on more M90 world records this season.
Guido’s deuce beat the 27.11 by Robert Whilden at Boston nationals in 2006. On the Age-Graded Tables, his 26.92 corresponds to an Open (ages 20-30) equivalent of 20.16! And the 400? Would you believe 43.85? Incredible.
But wait! There’s more! Competing in the W50 pentathlon, Germany’s Christine Müller zapped a Phil Raschker world record for the 60-meter hurdles, running 9.36 to beat Phil’s 9.38 from a dozen years ago.
Said Phil, when contacted about her former countrwoman taking her record: “That’s what records are for and it gives it incentives to excel. . . When you compare her 60 m/60 m hurdles to mine, it shows that I am definitely not a hurdler. Maybe by the time I turn 90, I will have learned.”
Back to the real 90-year-old, Bernal: The next day he ran the 800 in 5:04.46 (a Euro record) and the 400 in 1:48.98 (a Spanish record).
According to local reports, Julián took up track at age 76 after the death of his wife. “At my age there is not much else,” he told a local paper. “What could you do? The football does not interest me and the bull does not.”
He also coaches his 61-year-old son, Jesús, who said: “I run well, but the level of my father, I do not.” Next, he wants a world record over 1500 meters (now 14:29.4), and he hopes to compete at Lahti worlds this summer.
Still to come: The Eurovets indoor championships three weeks from now in Ancona, Italy.
And if I’ve missed any recent world records (gleaned from the Koops seite), I apologize.
4 Responses
Well, you didn’t miss much, Ken. Just the W 55 in the triple. Janine Kortbeek’s (The Netherlands) triple jump blasted the decade old world record of the German Gertrude Reismann (9.40 m) with a 10.25 m at the Dutch Indoors. And in Spain W 50 Aurora Pérez of Madrid ran the 800 m to a new world record (2:24.49) bettering Canadian Patty Blanchard’s old record (2:25.02). And in Germany, another Canadian Jean Horne (3:14,00min) lost her 800 m world record to German Lydia Ritter. The new W 70 world record in the 800 m now stands at 3:05,75. IAAF-World Masters Athlete 2008 Wolfgang Ritte (M55) easily vaulted 4,15m and had three close misses at 4.33 m. I predict this to be the next world record…
These marks show the remarkable physical potential in older adults. Many of my students couldn’t run 3000 meters in less than 20 minutes. Several recent studies found that death rates (deaths 100,000 people per year) were considerably lower in people with greater aerobic and strength fitness. While we’re all going to die, it’s apparent that masters can push the envelope and at least go out with viga (as President Kennedy used to say).
Dieter Massin, the EVAA-president just sent me an e-mail. He wants to set the world record(s) straight. At the Tricolori Masters Indoor Championships in Ancona, yes, that is the Italian Indoors for you semi-literates, this happened on March 1, 2009: 60 m: W75: MAZZENGA Emma 10.76 (record mondiale); 200 m: W75: MAZZENGA Emma 37.19 (record mondiale); 200 m: M90: SANSONETTI Ugo 41.22 (record mondiale). The truly old are truly something. Dr. Fahey is absolutely correct. Tom, lets meet in 2040 when I enter a new age group and astonish the world.
Anyone who has ever seen Guido Muller compete or just read his results over the years knows that this guy is something special. He looks like anything but a sprinter. He appears to be his listed age from his physical appearance but he clearly competes as if he was considerably younger.
I was hoping I could be the first to break 60 seconds at 70 years of age….now I have an even more difficult mark to surpass….
Good on ya Guido…keep on chugging baby!!!
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