WMA to weigh radical changes in hurdles, steeple
Uh oh. Delegates to the WMA General Assembly at Riccione in September will consider a proposal to eliminate the steeplechase for all men and women over 60. This won’t fly, of course. But other tweaks include dropping the water barrier for older age groups and changing the heights and distances of most hurdle events. These bear watching. Thanks to the Brits, we have a summary of these proposals. Also on the Sept. 11 agenda for delegates is a plan to make the indoor worlds quadrennial instead of every two years. At least have comic relief: “A proposal that the name of the âweight pentathlonâ be changed to the âthrows pentathlon.’ ”
Here are the proposals to change Competition Rules
The biennial World Masters Athletics General Assembly will be held in Riccione on 11 September. The BMAF will have five voting Delegates – Tony Bowman, Bridget Cushen, Kevin Dillon, Maurice Doogan and Eric Horwill.
Affiliates have submitted the following Proposals that, if passed, will affect your event at domestic and international level. If you agree or disagree or have views on these Proposals, please get in touch with Tony Bowman who is coordinating all responses at:
25 The Poplars, Guiseley, West Yorks. LS20 9PF
Tel 01943 877533.
The 5 Delegates will vote accordingly.
* Proposals 25-28 (all from Spain)
* Proposal 25 – That the height of the steeplechase barriers for the M50-M55 be reduced from .914m to .762m.
* Reason. All events for men 45 to 55 have changes, except the steeplechase, the heights are adjusted in the 60mH, 100mH, 400mH, there are adjustments in the throwing events, and this proposal gives some equality.
* Proposal 26 – That M60+ and W60+ do not compete in the steeplechase events.
* Reason: In realization of the difficulty in jumping the barriers and water jump.
* Proposal 27 – Should (26) not be adopted. Spain proposes that the M60+ and W60+ do not include the water jump in the steeplechase.
* Proposal 28 – That the Womenâs 35-40-45 distances of the steeplechase be increased from 2000m to 3000m.
* Proposal 29 (from BMAF) – That WMA Championships Indoors and Non Stadia (when re-instated) shall be organised every 4 years starting from 2008 (after Clermont- Ferrand), and be held in the quadrennial even numbered year.
* Reason: We feel that there are too many championships and in particular that they are generally in Europe and with costs getting too high for athletes to attend these and other championships, thus making entries less and more difficult to get organisers for championships.
* Proposal 32 (from Finland) – In the schedule of World Stadia Championships there should be only one rest day.
* Proposal 33 (from Australia) – That the weight of the W70+ shot and hammer be reduced from 3kg to 2kg.
* Reason: Women only have one weight reduction and this occurs at 50 years. Men have a reduction of weight at 50, 60, 70 and 80. It is unfair to expect women to use the same implement whether they are 50 or 90.
* Proposal 34 (Australia) – That the weight of the W70+ discus be reduced from 1kg to 0.75kg. (Currently only the W80+ throw the 0.75kg discus).
* Reason: Throwing records show that there is a major drop off of throwing ability in the womenâs seventies age group. Men have a discus weight reduction at 50 and again at 60 years. Yet women currently use the same weighted discus whether they are 40, 50, 60 or 70.
* Proposal 35 (from Australia) – That the heavy weight for W70+ be reduced from 5.45kg to 4kg
* Reason: The heavy weight is about twice the weight of the shot that is used within any age group. This reduction will allow this pattern to continue. The men have their heavy weight reduced at this age.
* Proposal 36 (Australia) – Combined Events Competitions 4-5. That the name of the âweight pentathlonâ be changed to the âthrows pentathlonâ.
* Reason: This is a more appropriate name and it will avoid confusion with the weight throwing events.
* Proposal 37 (from Australia) – That for the setting of World Records for track and road Walk events, a minimum of 6 nationally accredited judges be required with at least 1 judge at the highest grading for a National Technical Official. This judge to be the equivalent of at least a Level 1 IAAF Technical Official.
* Reason: European mastersâ competition has the ability to engage 6 IAAF international walk judges at walk events where world records/best performances may be set. Because of the distance factor and sparse population of many WMA affiliates, it is not practical nor economical to comply with this rule. By setting a standard which could be met by these Affiliates, the validity of world record claims would then be justified.
* Proposal 38 (from BMAF) – For Road and Track Walks, judges be instructed to use discretion in applying the rules regarding to âstraight kneesâ at contact, for masters.
* Reason: Many masters particularly in the older age groups have difficulties in fully straightening the knee, though their legs are still âbracedâ and this would not class as a disqualification.
* Proposals 39-48 (all from Australia)
* Proposal 39 Long Hurdles – That the M75+ long hurdles be reduced to being a 200m hurdle event with 5 hurdles. (Currently the M75+ have a 300m event with 7 hurdles.)
* Reason: This is a safety issue as most of the falls in the 300m event tend to occur in the final 100m when athletes are fatigued.
* Proposal 40 – That the W65+ have the 200m hurdles replaced the current 300m hurdles.
* Reason: Hurdling becomes an increased safety concern with older athletes. By reducing the length of this event, the fatigue level will be reduced yet the event will still offer an adequate challenge.
* Proposal 41
a) that the M75+ 200m hurdles have a height of 0.686m
b) that the W65+ 200m hurdles have a height of 0.600m
* Reason: This is the current long hurdles height for M75+, The W65+ need the reduced height to increase the safety factor.
* Proposal 42 – That the M55 age group have the 300m hurdles replace the current 400m hurdles.
* Reason: A high percentage of hurdlers in this age group struggle to maintain the form they had in the previous age group. This change would encourage more athletes to stay with the event.
* Proposal 43 – That the W45 age group have the 300m hurdles replace the current 400m hurdles.
* Reason: From youth, women have the 400m hurdles event. Yet on reaching the age of 45, women are expected to maintain the same hurdle height and distance, even though speed and leg spring is declining.
* Proposal 44 – That the W50 and W55 age groups have the 300m hurdle height reduced to 0.686m.
* Reason: From youth women have had a hurdle height of 0.762m for this event. It is unreasonable to expect women who are 50-59 to continue to hurdle the same height. Our masterâs men have a reduced hurdle height at 50 years.
* Proposal 45 – That the W60 age group have the 300m hurdle height reduced to 0.600m.
* Reason: – Long hurdles are normally at a reduced height compared to short hurdles. Yet the W60 have the same hurdle height for both their long and short events.
* Proposal 46 – That the M45 have the 400m hurdle height reduced to 0.840m from the current 0.914m.
* Reason: By the mid forties, the loss of spring in the legs have already increased the degree of difficulty of this event. A drop in hurdle height will encourage more athletes to continue hurdling in this age group as well as encourage more athletes to participate.
* Proposal 47 Short Hurdles – Women
Age Group Race Height To 1st Hurdle Between Hurdles To finish Number Hurdles
30-39 100m .840m 13.0m 8.5m 10.5m 10
40-44 90m .762m 13.0m 8.0m 13.0m 9
45-49 90m .762m 13.0m 7.5m 17.0m 9
50-59 80m .686m 12.0m 7.0m 19.0m 8
60-69 80m .600m 12.0m 7.0m 19.0m 8
70+ 60m 600m 13.0m 7.0m 12.0m 6
* Proposal 48 – That the following short hurdle specification be adopted for the Men
Age Group Race Height To 1st Hurdle Between Hurdles To finish Number Hurdles
30-39 110m .991m 13.72m 9.14m 14.02m 10
40-54 100m .914m 13.0m 8.50m 10.5m 10
55-59 90m .840m 13.0m 8.0m 13.0m 9
60-64 90m .840m 13.0m 7.5m 17.0m 9
65-74 80m .762m 12.0m 7.0m 19.0m 8
75+ 60m .686m 13.0m 7.0m 12.0m 6
* Reason: These hurdle specifications provide a more gradual adjustment of distance, spacing and height for the aging hurdler. The hurdle specifications remain challenging and provide the opportunity for a hurdler to maintain a three stride pattern.
* Proposal 49 (from Finland and Italy) – That M35-39 Outdoor and Indoor Hurdle Height be changed from .991m to 1.067m
* Reason: To respect the purpose of IAAF rule 168.3. Many athletes compete in national and international events in which IAAF Rule is applied with the height of the hurdles of 1.067m
* Proposal 50 (from Finland and Italy) – Men 60-69 Outdoor and Indoor hurdles distance âto 1st hurdleâ be changed from 16m to 12m
* Reason: To respect the purpose of IAAF Rule 168 and table 2.2.-3.1 of the IAAF Track and Field facilities manual indicates that the maximum from the start to the first hurdle should not be more than 13.72m. The aim is to restore a homogeneous technical situation for all age groups related to 50 and more.
* Proposal 51 (from Sweden) – Propose a change in the rules for M60 and M65 60mHurdles (indoors). Change the distance to the first hurdle from 16 to 12m, and the distance from the last hurdle to finish line from 12 to 16m
Present rule
A B C D E F
M60+65 84.0 5 16.00 8.00 12.00
New rule (proposal)
M60+65 84.0 5 12.00 8.00 16.00
* Reason: We in Sweden are convinced that this change is logical and justified. In all age groups from youth and older, except M60-M65, the distances to the first hurdle are 12 â 13.72, in 60m hurdles indoor. See down the rules for veterans in all age groups.
7 Responses
Ken I’m so glad you find the proposed change in the name of the Weight Pentathlon to Throws Pentathlon to be humorous. There is a very serious issue involved here and the change makes a lot of sense. The event is not a pentathlon of the weight, it is a pentathlon of throwing events. The name “Weight Pentathlon” makes no sense in English and is untranslatable into a number of languages where the term has long been translated as “Throws (or in some cases “Throwing”) Pentathlon.
Jerry Bookin-Weiner
36-inch hurdles at age 40, for the 110m hurdles? Come on, please show us a little more respect and keep it at 39 inches. We can handle it. 40 isn’t that old.
There continues to be a considerable amount of discussion regarding lowering and shortening hurdle specifications due to ageing athletes?¢Ç¨Ñ¢ general lack of ability to continue to compete in this event. Hurdles are not for the meek or timid or for those not willing or able to train for them. It took me one full year of intense training on the hurdles to be able to three step (actually bounding) after a twenty-five year sabbatical. It has taken another three years to actually run them. I still have yet to sprint them.
There are many gifted world class athletes who are competing in this event (and are beautiful to watch). With the recommended changes in the high hurdles I would be surprised if they continue to compete. The event would become bastardized to such an extent that it would no longer be ?¢Ç¨?ìhurdling?¢Ç¨¬ù.
As the height and distances between the hurdles are negated the successful in the event will not be the fastest hurdler but the one who can ?¢Ç¨?ìshuffle?¢Ç¨¬ù the distance between the hurdles the fastest.
I would also contend that by lowering the standards in many of the hurdle events you will see a rise in injuries as more competitors will enter without properly being trained or conditioned for the event. In many meets I have witnessed individuals enter the hurdle events to ?¢Ç¨?ìsee?¢Ç¨¬ù if they can do them. Their warm-up being their only hurdle practice. Reducing the standard to ?¢Ç¨?ìallow?¢Ç¨¬ù more competitors is not proper justification ?¢Ç¨Äú next lets change the standards for pole vaulting like limit the size pole to six feet and the run-up to ten.
Hurdling is an art and should be respected as such.
A final note: athletes are staying stronger and faster well into their years – more so than ever before – don’t take away the challenge.
Eugene, thanks for such a well thought-out comment that reflects my sentiments as well.
60-64 90m .840m 13.0m 7.5m 17.0m 9
Above is the proposal’s M60 idea.
Some of the ideas have merit, but I would really oppose shortening the distance to 90m. I have no problem with bringing back the distance to the first hurdle closer to the more standard 13m for the 100h. The extra 3 meters they we have now creates an extra two steps and is a hard adjustment in the rhythm developed over the years of a seven step approach. M60 hurdlers can complete 100m and 10 hurdles just fine. If you can’t, then you shouldn’t be out there. Let’s not shorten the race and eliminate hurdles with the hope to attract more participants. In the last two nationals, I believe the M60 field has been full without this adjustment. It is interesting that we now have some that want to fine-tweak each age group adjusting distances, spacings, heights, number of hurdles, etc. and another group (very small one)wants to have all hurdle age groups run the same distance and spaces. Maybe they should ask the hurdlers what they think.
I thank Ken for making the readers aware of the proposals. I hope our representatives will seek some input from the membership before they vote. It’s pretty easy to do.
Is Rex Harvey our technical rep to WAMA, Ken? If so, I’d like to share this with him: Just back from Orono and the unanimous feeling of the men’s 50 and 55 hurdlers I spoke with is to leave them alone. Yes, they are a challenge as they are, but dumbing it down won’t necessarily bring anyone new to it. A new hurdler still needs to get fit and learn the form. If they need to four or five step the first year or two, so be it. The time drop they’ll gain from working toward 3 steps should be motivation. And for those of us who aren’t ready to take on the challenge, let’s run the flat races until we are. The more the merrier, but not at the expense of the 5 men who beat me at the Nationals, or anyone else athletic enough to 3 step the current distance.
Dumbing it down is a good way to phrase it. The question ultimately is who do we wish to please in the audience (an audience of a mere few of us hurdlers as it is). The guys who are great hurdlers would find lower heights and shorter spacings frustrating. As frustrating as us lesser athletes find trying to manage the existing spacings. There are plenty of lesser athletes currently occupying their Barcalounger, but if easier hurdles were available, would they suddenly put on their spikes and drop 20 pounds, no 50 pounds, to start hurdling–I doubt it.
And changing the event would moot all the records of the great performances of the great athletes that have preceded us.
Yes, someday I would like to run a hurdle race where I can actually run the race, rather than just finish it. It hasn’t happened yet.
I’ve been doing this hurdle thing poorly for a lot of years. When I was in high school, at 5’1″ the 39″ hurdles were high and a long way away (the low hurdles, that we still ran in the day, were perfect). I jumped up and 4-stepped until I sprouted up to the staggering height of 5’9″ that I carry today. I could 3 step, I was a terror out of the blocks but the last couple of hurdles were ugly. That has been a frustrating revolving theme to my hurdle career–whatever spacing I had for my age group, I am always stretching for the hurdles and it was a struggle just to make the hurdles at the end of the race. I’ve never been able to get over those last few hurdles in the same race form that I had at the beginning of the race–its not racing, at that point it is survival.
Open competition meant the 12 year doldrums of 42″ hurdles. At a 30″ inseam, I had to jump those things. There is no way I can achieve the ideal hurdle form (powering down) when I had to first achieve the height. By the end of the race I had lost so much momentum, the last few hurdles were a triple jump.
My athletic level should be obvious from the fact that I was doing Masters meets from age 30–serious, good hurdlers are still doing 42″ hurdles into their late 30’s, some into their early 40s. Most of them are over 6’2″, have world class speed and muscles on top of their muscles.
The 39″ at age 30 were a releif from the height perspective. And in the late 80’s we had a lot of hurdlers–I think I was like 24th in my age group in the National Championships. Not rankings, in just the one meet. We had full heats of trials–in the M30 short hurdles. Where have all those guys gone? Where are the M30 hurdlers now?
Around my late 30’s it got harder and harder to make the steps. I still remember the meet just before I turned 42 when I simply could not make the entire flight. I’ve never 3 stepped a full flight of 39s since and after so much frustration I took short hurdles out of my big meet reportoire.
Plain and simple, running a short hurdle race at 4 or 5 steps is not fun.
Hope reappeared two years ago at age 50 when the hurdles got closer together. The 36″ hurdle was a bonus. At my size, 36 is the right height for my body, it always has been. I haven’t yet lost enough athletic ability to change that. Over the course of 5 months I was able to build up my strength to the point that I was able to get through a full flight 3-stepping. I’m still not attacking the hurdles, I’m not really racing because I am stretching for the distance. But I achieved the All American standard (normally I can only achieve the mark for the age group 5 or 10 years away) not only in the short hurdles, but also the 300H and came close in the 400H. All around benefits from the added strength, but more importantly there was a new event to master and new enthusiasm for the sport . . . at my age.
Since then, aches and pains have prevented me from training at the level I need to in order to maintain the 3 steps. I’ve suffered through extra steps the last half of the race, my times have risen dramatically (almost 2 seconds slower) and my national ranking has plumeted from 17th to 19th to, so far this year I am ranked 15th. For those who don’t read through the sarcasm; the depth of our national competition is such that a good year and a bad year don’t really change one’s position. There aren’t many more than the 25 guys in this country of 300 million people running hurdles in my age group. A bunch of those are decathletes who do it as part of their multi-event. OK, I also compete in decathlons, but I don’t throw or pole vault with the same dedication as I hurdle. The few who can 3-step and attack the hurdles still lead the pack, the others have disappeared.
Now I was also going to take the macho approach on the 400 hurdles. Its a different race than the 300s, that extra 100m has broken many a high school superstar. Obviously since I’m faster at 300, I’d rather do those things, but 400 is a challenge.
For me, it is a remarkable year, I will repeat that, YEAR, when I rattle a hurdle in a race. Clearing a hurdle is never a problem for me, speed is the issue.
I read the times at the 2007 National Championships last weekend and saw guys that usually beat me by 5-8 seconds weren’t that far ahead of my times. Gee, I shoulda gone, they’re coming back to me. Then I watched the video of the meet (how nice it is to have that available). In both the M50 and M55 races, the last hurdle was carnage. At least four guys, many established hurdlers whom I have raced, were sprawled across the track at that one hurdle. And a wimpy 33″ hurdle that is. Those guys, who were leading the race, each lost 5 to 8 to almost 20 seconds trying to stand up and finish the race. Maybe the WMA people know something about our age.
Since I’m already so wordy, I’ll go on to attack this from a Meet Director perspective. The majority of your hurdlers are under M60, with even fewer women over W40 competing in hurdles. The marks for races under those ages are already marked on every standard track. For the folks over M60 and W40, we have to put out special marks. The W40s use the exact same marks as the M60’s–that means only one new set of marks you need to measure. You don’t need a second set of marks until W50 and M70, which are rare age divisions to have hurdlers–we have them, in my area (Southern California) but not often. I take pride in the fact that we get our hurdles marked right here, but how often do they get it wrong? You want to piss off a hurdler, put the hurdler in the wrong place or the wrong height? You can’t do somethimg much more catestrophic to a hurdler–it ruins their day. Imagine a non-hurdler finding a stack of hurdles in their lane or an overhanging tree that knocks legal throws out of the air.
Meet directors have enough problems getting it right as it is. If you complicate matters for them more, by extra marks to have to place . . . correctly, OK, 90 meters is an easy mark to find if you know its the same as the end of the passing zone, but its another distance that will get screwed up by the unknowing. Just having to double mark the M60 and W40 is more work than some of them will bother to go through–the net result will be; many simply won’t hold hurdle races or will piss off enough hurdlers repetitively that they will disappear from the sport.
WMA has already been intelligent about the way they set up the long hurdles for M60+, they are on the standard 400H marks. It confuses US coaches used to the High School race, which is different (equivalent to the first 300, rather than the last 300 of the standard 400H race) but other than that common mistake, it saves Meet Director’s time. And don’t think about inconveniencing one individual, while the Meet Director and his crew adjust every hurdle for every age division, all the sprinters and distance runners are just waiting around for those damned hurdles to get off the track. That is why a lot of meets hold the hurdles early or late in the meet, to bother fewer people.
Speaking of races that are not held frequently because its a hassle for Meet Directors, lets address the Steeplechase:
The lowering of the Steeplechase for M50 is only logical. Why should the barrier height for Steeplechase be the same height as the High Hurdle race in the same age division (and higher than the Long Hurdle Race)? But the elimination of the Steeplechase after age 60? Geez We have local guys doing it in their 70’s now–suddenly, poof their event is gone. Not a good idea.
Unless you’re Kenyan, Steeplechase is not a big time event. Don’t expect it to be. But don’t kill it out of FEAR that someone might trip over a barrier. The participants in that event, or any event we hold, know what they are getting into, train for it and take those risks. At the 1995 World Championships we had a guy (I don’t know his name or the outcome) who had a heart attack on the finish line of the 4×400. Gee, this race is dangerous, we better kill that too. In fact, we better kill the 400–everybody looks out of breath after that race. The logic astounds me.
Leave a Reply