Look for Kiwi named Hanson in M70 hurdles at Sacramento worlds
I’ve just met Peter Hanson — through the Interwebs. He’s a 74-year-old hurdler in New Zealand prepping for Sacramento worlds. Story is here. Gotta love this guy: He trains by running 10Ks. Of course, he’s a steepler, too. But he’s entered in the 300-meter hurdles (with a submitted mark of 1 minute even). Won’t be a medal contender, but check out the PVC hurdles he trains with. Lovely video of the gent as well.
Peter Hanson has some work to do on form, but his attitude is world-class.
Here’s the story, in case the link goes down under:
Peter Hanson may be 74-years-old but that isn’t stopping him representing New Zealand on the world athletic stage. By Hamish Coleman-Ross.
Age is no barrier for Peter Hanson, who leaps over hurdles with more spring in his step than men half his age.
“To be honest, I don’t practise all that much,” the 74-year-old says. “I run every other day. Sometimes I only do 10km, other days I’ll do 14km and once a week I’ll do some sprint training.”
The Porirua great-grandfather is training for the World Masters Athletics championships in July at Sacramento, California, where he will compete in the 300m hurdles and 2000m steeplechase.
“I don’t have any great expectations for the world champs because I’m still in the process of getting fit.”You could forgive a gentleman his age for taking up more sedate pastimes, but Mr Hanson bounds over hurdles in between indoor rowing and having a roll on the bowling green. “As the old saying goes, use it or lose it.”
About 10 years ago Mr Hanson was forced to slow down when a rare cancer was found in his heart. Once it was diagnosed and cut out he was back into training and ran the London Marathon to celebrate his 70th birthday.
To keep up his strength, he does yoga, pilates and weight training at Summerset Aotea retirement village, where he and
his wife, Nola, moved to after she suffered a series of strokes three years ago. “I have a go at everything … I’m a jack of all trades and master of none.”
Mr Hanson has just returned from the Australian Masters Athletics Championships in Brisbane, where he won a silver medal in the steeplechase.
At the Masters Games in Whanganui in February, he picked up six gold medals, two bronze and a silver in running, hurdles, the steeplechase and indoor rowing.
After competing at Sacramento, Mr Hanson and athletes from the 50-strong Kiwi contingent will go on a cruise and bus trip through Alaska. “We’re really one big family but we have all these fierce rivalries – we love to beat each other.”
3 Responses
I made four PVC hurdles just like that. There are rarely hurdles available at school tracks in the summer.
I like his feature of the tape on the crossbars. I hadn’t thought to do that, probably because I have never taken them out of the garage to actually use them. Maybe soon.
PVC HURDLE are great for training easy to brake down and put in the car I have 4 hurdles very hard to put in the car good luck to all going to WMA
Amazon.com sells adjustable training hurdles for $27 each. They are probably more expensive than PVC, but they fold for fast & easy transport & setup.
http://www.amazon.com/Port-a-Pit-X-Trainer-Hurdle/dp/B002MACSVA/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1
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