Track season is here! Great indoor marks in time for Christmas
Don’t look now, but indoor track season is here. The Philly Masters TC had a great little meet last Sunday at the Glen Mills Schools, and quite a few great marks were posted. See results here. Heather Scanlon sent these results, bless her heart. She also put the shot 8.07 meters (26-5 1/2) in W45. Not bad, Heather. World champ Renee Henderson dashed 55 meters in 7.58 and the 400 in 66.89 in W45. And M55 Lovell Butler had the fastest 55 of all age groups: 7.09. W45 Lorraine Jasper ran the 800 in 2:38.85, the mile in 5:35.18 and, for giggles, the 400 in 1:12.15. Nice workout, Lorraine!
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Congratulations to Lovell and Lorraine. BTW, Lovell ran as a 49-year-old last year in Landover; according to this report he is now in M55. Wonders never cease.
Not that it’s correct, but it shows that lovell is 51 next year of 2011 in the Masters rankings. Maybe he just ran in the same heat as the 55 year olds due to lane availability. “shrugs” who knows.
How are the updates going on these sites? I didn’t see this meet listed in USATF?
Gary, I was able to find it today (Dec. 18) on the USATF site by going to “Search the Calendar.” It was listed as Philadelphia Masters Open Series. Do not know, of course, when it was first listed.
While I was at the USATF site I searched our national masters indoor meet (Albuquerque). Although the meet does not begin until March 4, the entry deadline without penalty is in early February (the 7th, to be exact). I found 22 entrants.
The absence of an organizational effort to publicize small meets has been my frustration with USATF, even its TAC and AAU predecessors for decades. I couldn’t find a listing of where to run when I started back in 1970. I’ve repeatedly pushed and prodded to no effect. That was the initial reason to create my web site back in the early 90’s. It is called the North American All Comer Meet Directory at http://www.trackinfo.org
Why does USATF continue to ignore the grass roots of our sport? Effectively it is because they don’t care. Even though they are a theoretically public service organization, there is no money in supporting the grass roots. There is no money to MAKE them care about the grass roots.
If a meet pays to get a USATF sanction, its automatically listed on the USATF site. But small meets can’t exist if they have to jump through all the hoops. Between the cost of renting a facility, paying for timing and officials, much less cost of the sanction, many meets just won’t happen. They DO happen largely because the motivated people who organize these find a way to shortcut the expenses. Most small, cheap meets benefit the local team hosting the meet. The team gets to use their own facility, self-insured and has their own volunteers do the work, allowing them to keep the income. Its the same logic as putting on a car wash in the parking lot. The free labor, location, even the water out of the hose, allows the cheerleaders or boy scouts or whatever, a margin to raise money vs the guys down the street who do the same job at a profit. The cost of the sanction would sap that meager profit and serve no purpose.
So I think the USATF mafia isn’t getting their piece of the action, and to spite these meets, they deliberately hide their existence. You don’t grease da machine, it don’t woik for youse.
In years of discussing this with USATF executives at the highest level, the closest thing to an excuse any of them has offered is: we don’t know about these other meets, we don’t know where they are happening.
They are there on my site. They’ve been there for 17 years. And I have more useful information (like meet specific web pages rather than the hosting school’s main page) on my site than USATF has on the meets we list in common. Information USATF gets spoon fed to them by the sanction form. Yeah, things change every year, but about 75% of it is the same people doing it again and again (people we track athletes should identify and thank). It takes some research to find out what is happening this year. Why can’t paid people at USATF do a little of this work to publicize this sport they are supposed to be promoting?
Track and field people are, as a group, the worst at publicizing their own events. Information circulates by word of mouth. I need to get people to tell me what is happening in their area. I am continually surprised to find out about meets that have been going on for years without my knowledge. Many of these small organizers have yet to discover the internet.
Like some of the other subjects I complain about here, its going to take more voices screaming at USATF to get something to change.
Thanks Andrew. I totally hear what you are saying. I spend much time trying to find meets and figure out if I can get there. For example in VA we have meets at the Thomas Jefferson center in Arlington. Those meets usually won’t appear on the USATF site. Sometimes they show up late like within days of the meet.
You kind of have to know which sites to go to …I have to visit Potomac Valley and then go to Philadelphia Masters and on to several others. Makes no sense as you say.
Rock on!, Gary
Andrew/Gary – Can totally understand.
But the researcher in me found another way: By checking the USATF calendar for the preceeding year as well as the preceeding seasons posted on mastersrankings.
I have found some really great meets this way.
Through those results you can link to the website of those clubs or associations hosting the meets.
I usually start in November. The fabulous Philly schedules have been up awhile. And the great thing is – when I contact people at those clubs or those planning to host an event (but the pending dates/schedules are not yet up) they put me on their email list.
Email me I be happy to give you a list of what I have compiled for east coast. raplibrary@hotmail.com
Best and Happy Holidays
CL
Not to make you jealous, but this is our small country’s indoor season: http://www.atletiekunie.nl/index.php?page=80&agendapage=8
Byron Turner(LA) and Seth Brower(TX)along with Wayne Bennett(Tx) put-on MUCHO Y EXCELENTES COMPETENCIAS=Lots and excellent Masters Meets here in the Southwest.Upcoming LA vs TX Masters Meet,BUT ALL OTHERS ARE INVITED ALSO
Panama……..if there’s a LA vs TX…..who would I as an out-of-stater compete for ??
Hey Bro Daddy:No Hay Problema-Outsiders ARE ALSO WELCOME(LOL)Just come down,up or across and meet some FELLOW MASTERS COMPETITORS,Then after the events come over to me and I WILL TREAT YOU TO SOME LATIN FOOD WITH RUM AND COKE AFTER.Do you speako-spanisho?(lol)-Ps Sent your comment to Byron(LA) and Seth(TX)
Panama….no can speako spanish. However; do you have any dates for the LA vs TX meets? Include start times if available. I’ll need to make flight arrangements; if I can come.
Daddy;No dates as of yet.I have pass YOUR comment on to Byron(LA) and Seth(TX).You said you dont speak Spanish-DO YOU DRINK RUM? OR EAT YUCA OR PLANTAINS? (LOL)
Daddy: We have just discussed the concept and I believe we are looking at a date in August or September. We are excited about doing this meet but its still too early for details.
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