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Yanks Bob Lida, Kathy Martin named WMA Athletes of the Year

M80 sprinter Bob Lida and W65 middle-distance star Kathy Martin on Monday were revealed as WMA Best Masters of 2017 — the first time two Americans have been honored as world athletes of the year at the same time. It’s the first time since 2010 (when Aussies Peter Crombie and Marie Kay were the winners) […]

March 5, 2018   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

Bob Lida: Honoring M80 as Masters AoY ‘bodes well for the future’

M80 Bob Lida, my fellow Jayhawk, is not only a stellar sprinter but also a top-notch wit. I wrote him for reaction to his second USATF Masters Athlete of the Year award, and he had some clever replies. Asked for his advice, he said: “As you get older, pay attention to muscle mass; somewhere along […]

December 6, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  2 Comments

Kathy Martin, Bob Lida named USATF Masters T&F Athletes of Year

W65 distance great Kathy Martin and M80 sprint icon Bob Lida have been named USATF Masters Track & Field Athletes of the Year. They were chosen by the Masters T&F Awards Committee, of which I’m a member, after also being nominated to represent the United States as regional nominees for WMA Athletes of the Year. […]

November 30, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Bob Lida lowers own M80 ARs in 200/400 at Toronto WMA meet

London wasn’t the only great meet over the weekend. Toronto WMA regionals had some tight competition, especially in the sprints. And with W75 Carol LaFayette-Boyd in the mix, she’s eligible for WMA Best Athlete consideration for her record-setting season. We also finally saw Olympian Walter Dix run a masters 200. He clocked 21.30 to win […]

August 14, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Bob Lida sets second M80 sprint record; Karnell Vickers was a beast

According to weather charts, LSU nationals dodged a bullet — rain — on Day 4, giving sprinters and middle distance runners good footing and field-eventers a chance to breathe outdoor air. Also a slew of relay records. (Results here.) Sunday’s highlights included Bob Lida nipping Payton Jordan’s 20-year-old American record in the M80 200, clocking […]

July 16, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  No Comments

Bob Lida: ‘Nothing more exhilarating than running as fast as I can’

For all his honors — including 2012 WMA Best Male Athlete of the Year — one recognition eluded Bob Lida until last last week. That’s when he won his first USATF Athlete of the Week title. How did he hear of it? “Friend of mine, who is the athletic director at Pittsburg State University in […]

April 4, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments

M80 Bob Lida named USATF Athlete of the Week for Daegu WRs

Bob Lida of Wichita wasn’t in Kansas anymore. South Korea was about as far as you get from Dorothy and Toto Land. In fact, Bob was the Wizard of Daegu — setting M80 world records in the 200 and 400. And topping off the week, he was named USATF Athlete of the Week. “Lida surpassed […]

March 31, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  3 Comments

WRs drop like flies at Daegu: Kathy Martin, Bob Lida have 2 each

Kathy Martin on Saturday ran 1500 meters in 5:25.29 at Daegu worlds to crush the listed W65 WR of 5:36.88 by Britain’s Angela Copson. This means she now has WRs for 800, 1500, mile and 3000 this season. Also notching his second WR of the meet is M80 Bob Lida, whose 400 in 1:10.20 destroys […]

March 24, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  6 Comments

Bob Lida claiming Jordan title as world’s greatest 80-plus sprinter

Had World War II not intervened, Payton Jordan would have been a medal favorite in the 1940 and 1944 Games. But Payton became a legend anyway — as an Olympic and Stanford coach and a world-record sprinter into his early 80s. Twenty years ago, when I began covering masters and seeing Payton run, nobody could […]

February 19, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  5 Comments

Indoor WRs reported for M80 Bob Lida and M45 Anthony Whiteman

According to results and a tweet, Bob Lida of Kansas has his first M80 world record — in the 200 — and Britain’s Anthony Whiteman has taken down the M45 WR in the 800 by more than a second. Despite a URL with 2016 in it, Bob is denoted as 80 in these results from […]

January 29, 2017   Posted in: Uncategorized  8 Comments