Lynne Hurrell preps for Lyon with W80 records in 800 and 1500
Lynne lopes in 2004 run.
A recent article in a Chico, California, paper tells us about Lynne:
On a picturesque morning at Bidwell Park, Lynne Hurrell wanted nothing more than to cross the finish line in the 39th annual Bidwell Classic.
Hurrell, 80, was not only racing in the 5-kilometer competition, but also pursuing the U.S. 5K record for women age 80 and older.
Saturday morning, her time of 28 minutes and 15 seconds was easily enough to break the record of 29 minutes and 23 seconds, making the Grass Valley woman the new record holder.
“It felt like heaven,” Hurrell said about crossing the finish line. “I felt good except for the last part when I had to run faster. I’m running as fast as I can and he (her coach) is yelling ‘Run faster, you got the record.’”
Though she said the record wasn’t on her mind while she’s running, everyone around her was pushing her to finish strong.
“Oh yeah, I was nervous,” Hurrell said. “They told me, ‘Oh you’re going to set a record.’ So I had all this pressure to live up to, no pressure or anything.”
Hurrell traveled along with her all-ages racing team Trkac to compete in the Bidwell Classic. She trains three times a week with the team, running one hour intervals at the Nevada Union High School track in Grass Valley.
All her life, Hurrell has been athletic. When she was 21, she taught ballroom dancing classes in Southern California, where she met her husband Keith, who was a student. Later on, she helped her husband coach fencing to teenagers. Then, when she was 45 she took part in her first fun run as part of a parks and recreation course. Since then, running has become a hobby for Hurrell.
“If I’m not running, I feel guilty,” she said. “I feel like I need to be running and I see everybody out running and think why am I not running today?”
The day her 81st birthday rolls around, Hurrell will be competing alongside her daughter and 12 other Trkac team members in the World Masters Athletics Championships in Lyon, France.
Hurrell was one of about 1,000 people who came out to Bidwell Park to compete in the classic race. People of all ages came out to compete in the 5K race or walk, the half-marathon race and the half-marathon relay race.
“There’s a very rich history with this race,” said race co-manager Katrina Woodcox. “It’s one of the original half-marathon and long distance runs in Chico. We have a lot people come from out of town because they ran this race 15 years ago and it’s such a gorgeous run and such a beautiful setting.”
Families took part in the events, as well competitive runners of all ages.
And my thanks to middle-distance expert Matt Bogdanowicz for alerting me to Lynne’s records.
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4 Responses
All I can say: WOW, have never really seen you run!
Would you please run the 800 m for me in the Heptathlon or Pentathlon (what ever you prefer) I will do all he other events…
Actually a great idea… we should do a 2 person “combined event” any takers? Details can be worked out. Has to be the same age group.
(Just dreaming) see you in Lyon!
Speaking of Lyon, Ken, is there a way to contact other Americans competing there in the interest of getting together for a meal or something? Especially those who will be running in my event and age group?
Hi, Doug.
Besides just sending me a note with details on get-together, which I’d gladly post, you can reach out to Lyon-goers via Sue McDonald’s Facebook page, which I wrote about:
http://masterstrack.com/2015/01/33593/
You can also post to several other WMA Facebook pages.
Lynn should be very competitive in all her events – there are not a lot of us running those events in the W 80-84 age group and I suspect the others will be surprised to see her run. I look forward to meeting her. I suspect she will leave me in the dust.
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