The masters mile record that never was
On March 3, 1938, Glenn Cunningham of Kansas ran a mile indoors at Dartmouth. His time of 4:04.4 would have lowered the day’s outdoor world record by two seconds. The 4:04 was an indoor best, of course. But not one for the record books. It came on a dreaded “oversized track” – illegal for record purposes. Last Saturday, Tony Young of Washington state ran a mile indoors in Seattle. His time of 4:08.6 crushed the previous American masters indoor record by more than two seconds. His performance will be consigned to the asterisk trash heap as well. It was on an oversized track – 307 meters to the lap.
Separate lists for oversized-track marks have been maintained for decades. But maybe it’s time to chuck this statistical inequity. Just for yucks, I perused the “oversized” mile marks listed in Ed Gordon’s annual TAFWA All-Time World Indoor List booklet (blue pages for men, pink for women.) In the 2003 edition, the five fastest mile performers on an oversized track are Sydney Maree (3:53.79), Steve Scott (3:54.20), Don Paige (3:54.22), Ray Flynn (3:54.77) and John Walker (3:55.3). But check out their best miles indoors on standard (200m or less) tracks: Maree 3:52.40, Scott 3:51.8, Paige 3:58.3, Flynn 3:51.20 and Walker 3:52.8.
Notice anything? Yeah, me too. Except for Paige, these studs ran faster on standard tracks with tight turns, usually banked. The average improvement going from oversized to standard size of the four cited: 2.5 seconds. Could it be that oversized tracks put milers at a disadvantage?
OK, I’ll grant that this is a bogus comparison. Not enough data points. It also doesn’t take into account the more competitive fields these guys faced on the shorter tracks. But hey – maybe in the case of the mile, those banked whipsaw turns are an unfair advantage. Not so much for quarter-milers and 600-meter racers, but likely for milers and longer.
But who cares what stat freaks think? Ask any masters miler who’s the best ever indoors, and the honest answer is Tony Young.
In fact, I asked the guy who lost the record.
Twenty years ago yesterday, masters miler Bill Stewart entered an open race indoors at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and took third behind Earl Jones. Bill clocked 4:11 – now the listed American masters record. I e-mailed Bill a couple days after Young’s race, and he replied immediately:
“I had not heard. If you are in contact with Tony, send my congratulations. I am happy someone finally ran faster. Re the track size — it should not matter, but it probably will attract some attention and create some discussion. I think the IAAF does not recognize times run on oversized tracks. But hey — 4:08 is 4:08!!”
Back when he was 40, Stewart noted, he thought he would run a faster mile outdoors, but “I got caught up running on the roads. Set American records at 15K and 25K but managed to run 3:52 -53 several times for the 1500.”
His sub-4:10 mile never came. These marks aren’t chopped liver. More like rare caviar.
Stewart continued: “Right now (at age 60), if I could run 5 minutes for the mile I would be pretty happy. Staying fit is easier than staying fast.”
And what say the new (non)record claimant?
Young wrote me: “Yes, it is a bummer about the track dimensions. But whatever the rules are, then so be it. The UW track felt amazingly quick as I was doing some strides. Or maybe it was because it was the first time I have worn spikes for a while?”
He thinks he’ll go faster outdoors, of course – shooting for a sub-4:05 (as he told me in my masterstrack.com interview). He says he plans to run an 800/1000 on February 1 (again on the illegal UW track) and probably a 3000-meter tune-up on Feb. 15 for a masters 3000 exhibition at the USATF indoor open nationals in Boston.
“(Then) maybe another mile if there is one — if not, then come late April somewhere (outdoor on an oversized, downhill track!),” he writes from Redmond, Washington.
History has a way of playing tricks on athletes’ plans, though. It would be beyond sad if Tony were unable to lower his outdoor masters best of 4:09.61 from last June. It would be sadder still if record-keeping authorities continued to ignore true bests.
On March 12, 1938, Cunnigham set a “legal” world indoor mile record of 4:07.4 (lowering his previous world record by a second). But nobody would touch the “illegal” record of 4:04 for another 16 years. (And it was another Kansan, Wes Santee, who ducked under 4:04 indoors, going 4:03.8.)
How many years will it be before another American masters runner beats 4:08.6 on a “legal” track?
7 Responses
ah, those fast kansan milers (whats in those sunflower seeds anyway?). seems a pity to mention fast kansan milers without mentioning the father/son duo of archie san romani I and archie san romani II (both wr holders).
Its a shame that tracks are constructed that do not conform to the rulebooks. The 200+ meter tracks indoors are but one . . . we have a majority of All Weather tracks that do not conform to the curb rules . . . some tracks aren’t even measured correctly (or have the curb built or placed wrong) . . . if you go to the inclusion of plasticene, most horizontal jumps do not qualify . . . many throwing facilities have different sectors marked to comply with different organizations’ old rules . . . and if you go to the certification of rules, very few meets are conducted totally by Certified Officials particularly when you go down to the computer operators of Automatic Timing Services (which is not to say the people doing the job are not qualified, just that they don’t have the stamp of approval). Granted there are few who are finickier than I about these details (many of which I notate on trackinfo.org/tracks.html). I guess the point is we have to regard that our Rulebook is THE rulebook, but it sure would be nice if we could get some agreement between the rulewriters and the administrators who create the reality we must compete under. When we specify a 400 meter or 200 meter track with a curb, they shouldn’t deviate from those specifications because of some extraneous excuse (i.e.: If we build it bigger we would make more room for the basketball court or soccer field, we need more space for the parking lot etc.). And if we can’t get facilities that qualify (electronically surveyed field marks or even automatic timing, back when it was not commonly available), then those specifications shouldn’t be enforced in the rules.
In an ideal world (of those on this list, anyway), construction of all indoor recreation facilties would first revolve around a ‘legal’ 200 meter track. But most buildings in this country are multi-purpose facilities and tracks fit around courts or within buildings that fit on odd shaped plots of land.
As to other non-standard size indoor tracks, some were put in to fit into a building. For instance, the indoor track at the University of Maine is 238 yards long because that is what fit around the vertical supports in the fieldhouse built in the 1920’s (and according to legend, from the plans of a zeppelin hanger – a very early example of multi-purpose). Some of the other odd distance tracks in the northeast are due to similar facility constraints. I don’t know the story of the oversize track at Notre Dame, nor at the University of Washington which prompted this discussion.
Weighing in on curbs, if it is not required, it isn’t going in, budgets being what they are. High schools and municipal tracks don’t need one for most of their events, and if the infield is used for lots of other events, the curb can present safety or maintenance issues – put it in, take it out, store it.
But why is it necessary to have every meet be an opportunity for ‘record’ performances? There are development meets that aren’t going to have all the amenities for records, be they curbs, auto-timing, weigh-ins, certified officials, or even certified courses on the road, yet there will be grousing about how the athlete was robbed of a record. It appears to me that most record setters are pretty well versed in the sport and not coming out of the blue to set records. If the athlete is focused on a record as opposed to competing for the sake of competition, then they have to take the extra step of seeing that the venue is going to meet requirements.
If the facility – or officiating or implement – doesn’t meet the rule specs for records, so be it; don’t say the rules shouldn’t apply. Seems like Tony took the rules in stride, so to speak, so why can’t we all accept the rules?
Looks like they won’t recognize his 800 time he ran yesterday either (1:53.89)!!!! Under the current record of (1:54.68), I believe? His next attempt (race) is a 3000 on the 15th. Look out for another “Best!” effort.
I was just perusing your website hoping to find some up to date news of Archie SanRomani I and his daughter, Amelia. Archie ran with my father, Harold Manning, and Amelia & I were pitted against one another in a 100 yd. dash every time the olympics came around. My dad just passed away and I was just trying to locate the San Romanis. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you
Judy Lewis
My group is in the process of building a mulit-purpose indoor sports complex – see http://www.CanandaiguaSportsGroup.org. We are looking into the possibilty of having a competition track. Seems like there are no hard & fast rules but are there any minimum specifications we should meet in order to have a facility for high school / college level meets?
Thanks in advance
dknapton@yahoo.com
I KNEW AMELIA SAN ROMANI WHEN SHE ATTENDED EMPORIA STATE IN 56 OR 57. ATTRACTIVE REDHEAD AS I RECALL. HAD A BROTHER NAMED ARCHIE WHO WAS A VERY GOOD MILE RUNNER.
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