Mayaguez mulls bidding for 2017 world masters outdoor meet
Stefan Waltermann of Team USA writes: “You read it first on masterstrack.com. And it is not just a rumor! After the successful completion of the XIX Campeonato Regional Master De Atletismo, the organizers and the city of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, are seriously contemplating an official bid for the 2015 or 2017 Masters World Championships. By the way, not too many athletes who went to Puerto Rico might have noticed: There is a very good track facility close to the beautiful facility we so much enjoyed. And they have a gem of a stadium in Ponce as well. Unreal!” Of course, the deadline has passed for bidders on 2015 worlds. But 2017 is in play. Question for entrants at WMA regionals: How did Mayaguez deliver as a host?
11 Responses
How did Mayaguez deliver as a host? FANTASTIC!!!!
I cannot answer for housing and transportation since I stayed in Parguera, about 20 miles to the south. Packet pickup was smooth, but ran out of neck id tag holders on day1. Call Room worked well, but needed to be connected to the medal stand area so folks waiting for medal ceremonies and medals could hear upcoming calls for events (like the relays). Announcements were not consistently given in both English and Spanish, leaving many saying ‘what did they say?’. Great stadium and track, and warm-up track very conveniently located right outside the main track. Schedule went on time once medal ceremonies were done separately; they were initially held between events on day1 which delayed the schedule. Events started at 6:30 am and most were completed by noon, avoiding the heat and windy afternoons. With more heats for a World not Regional meet, they will need to contemplate night scheduling – the stadium did have lights. Starting, timing, and officialing on the track appeared to be great. Brian Kineavey and Sandy Pashkin provided valuable assistance to the LOC. Additional parking may also be needed near the stadium for a larger meet. Air conditioning inside the stadium was awesome and really helped keep competitors cool. Restrooms and locker rooms were ample and clean. A snack vendor would have been nice outside near the call room. Medical attention was visible and prompt, as was security. Overall, the LOC did a fine job and worked hard to assist competitors. On the last day, the awards and medals table got somewhat out of control since they were rushed by competitors who did not want to wait for ceremonies. As noted in a prior post, the folks manning the awards table and call room deserve applause for their efforts. Scores of youngsters in yellow shirts provided plenty of cold bottled water and kept track of competitor belongings at race time. Overall, even with a few problems, the regional meet was a great success and competitors enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
PUERTO RICO HAS HOSTED MANY TRACK AND FIELD EVENTS IN THE PAST, BOTH OPEN AND MASTERS. THE 2003 MASTERS WORLD CHAMPS,WERE HELD IN PUERTO RICO. THE TOWN OF MAYAGUEEZ IS HOME TO A LARGE UNIVERSITY. THEY MAY BE ABLE TO HOUSE ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS, DURING THE SUMMER SCHOOL BREAK,WHICH IS WHEN THE MEET WILL BE HELD. NO PASSPORT IS REQUIRED FOR U.S.A. CITIZENS,AND THE DOLLAR WILL GO A LONGER WAY.
I thought they did a great job! As stated great facility, great staff…very friendly and helpful. Our housing was excellent blending into an fantastic experience. They definitely could host worlds!
My only recommendation: allow athletes to declare the day prior for early morning next day events.
It sounds like they did very well, but this was a regional world meet with about 400 to 500 competitors I am estimating. Did anyone get any numbers? It may be a different story with approximately 4000 competitors, mutiple heats, and many more languages than spanish and english.
I love Puerto Rico. I could live there. All I would need would be a shack, a window AC, microwave, and an electric cooler for some Heineken. I tried running there ONCE, I “ran” the World Best 10K. The humidity was brutal. We have humid days in Missouri but nothing like that. I knew that I was in trouble when a cat in shower shoes passed me. Next was Spiderman in full costume. I mean, by the time I hit the finish, Spidey was in a cabana sippin’ pinyah(tilde sound)coladas. My pal, Luis Rosa, made a huge gold collection in the distanmce events but he lives there. Hmmm, guess I could be a spectator.Smartty
There should be no problem with a very big masters meet. After all, the very same people ran the big regional open meet with well over 5000 athletes just a few months ago. They told me everything went just fine and the stands were packed, a full house with over 23,000 spectators.
There is a big difference between an open meet and a masters meet due to all the different age groups and different event specifications. I’m sure they told Stefan everything went fine but that means nothing since I doubt they would want to publicize shortcomings. Wild-eyed optimism due to a successful smallish meet with limited competitors should be taken with a grain of salt. I’m not trying to rain on any parades; I’m simply playing devils advocate. There are plenty of critical eyes on these boards.
Mayaquez was a good host city regarding facilities,festivities, protocol, medical, and security;however, there were issues with housing and transportation. It is my understanding that the LOC had an unusually short period to prepare for the games. Reliable sources indicate that there were housing issues associated with the Carribean Games hosted last month. These games involved over 3200 athletes. For the World Championships, it is imperative that additional housing is secured, in surrounding towns, well in advance of the World Championships. Transportation was also an issue. It’s a must to have reliable and identifiable buses. Bus schedules for airport transport should be noted on website and local transport posted at stadium and hotels. Transportation is a must given the limited local transportation.
I had great time on and off the track. Some delicious local peach wine help me through the gliches and trying times.
Thank God for Stefan Waltermann for stating the obvious!! We just hosted the Central American games which ended up being the best Central American in its 25 year history. One of the purposes of having the Regional meet in Puerto Rico this year is so we can bid for a World Championship in 2015 or 2017, and imagine we put the Regional Championships together in just 2 or 3 months, imagine what we could do with more time! Also consider Puerto Rico Honors “THE ATHLETES” not the officials like they do in Europe which seems to be the norm there. Their really would no reason not to celebrate the World Championships in Puerto Rico as we have just demonstrated.
Asi es Tony,TELL IT LIKE IT IS
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