Allie beats his age again with 400 victory
Charles Allie of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, does the impossible and makes it look easy — he runs the 400 in a time lower than his age. At 57, Allie took the exhibition masters race at the USATF open indoor nationals Saturday in Boston with a time of 54.47 seconds. That’s just a second over the M55 world indoor record he set last year on the same track.
According to Pete Mundle’s Masters Age Records, the youngest man to beat his age in the 400 is Steve Robbins, who ran 51.63 at the age of 52 in 1995. The next youngest to crack his age? Allie at age 53, when he ran 52.58. Incredible.
Others in the Boston exhibition were:
Robert Bowen, about 52, of Maryland, 55.77 seconds.
Rick Lapp, 55, of New York state, 58.73
Roger Pierce, 60, of Massachusetts, 59.22
Pierce also deserves credit for cracking his age. But the oldest man to run 400 under 60 seconds — indoors or out — is Trinidad Olympian Ralph Romain, who clocked 58.69 in 2001 at the age of 68!
The Boston nationals Saturday also featured a masters women’s mile, with these results:
1 Karen Steen Club Northwest 5:08.12
2 Mary Thane Mountain West TC 5:08.41
3 Sarah Kramer Unattached 5:09.03
4 Kathryn Martin Northport RC 5:18.78
5 Sheri Wright R R Boulder 5:19.45
6 Lorraine Jasper SoCal TC 5:19.77
7 Terri Cassel Fleet Feet Tulsa 5:20.83
8 Catherine Stone-Borkowski Unatt 5:21.81
9 Carla Hervert Oregon TC Masters 5:22.45
10 Marge Bellisle Unattached 5:24.87
Again, the results don’t begin to tell the whole story, since they leave out ages.
But as best I can figure, here’s the real poop:
Winner Steen, of Olympia, Washington, is a 40-year-old marathoner dropping way down in distance. Thane, of Missoula, Montana, is a bridesmaid again, having taken second to Rose Monday at last year’s Olympic Trials masters 800 exhibition as well as in the 1,000-meter run at the Boston masters nationals a year ago. Thane is 40 or 41.
Fourth-placer Kathryn Martin, 53, last year won the Ben Gay Masters Athlete of the Year Award. Her time yesterday is four seconds off her own world indoor W50 mile record of 5:14.
Stone-Borkowski, about 43, took third in the Olympic Trials exhibition 800 last year and posted her recollections of the event. (Just scroll down page a little).
The others: Kramer, of Ogden, Utah, is 43 or 44. Wright, of Boulder, Colorado, is 40 or 41. Jasper of Pennslvania is about 43. Cassel of Tulsa is also likely 43. Hervert of Oregon is about 46. And Bellisle of Massachusetts is 49.
Mark Cleary of Southern California is in charge of the USATF Masters Invitational program, and I’m looking forward to a detailed eyewitness report from him. I’ll share it when I get it.
2 Responses
Ken – thanks for this update on the Invitational Masters races in Boston.
One correction – Kathryn Martin does not hold the 50+ WR for the mile. Her 5:14 mark was broken by Maureen de St Croix on January 22 with a 5:10.87. Of course, this is a “pending” mark – but given that it was run in the Hartshorne Mile at Cornell, I’m sure the paper work etc. will be found to be entirely in order.
FYI, Maureen also holds the 50+ WRs outdoors for the 800, the 1500 and the Mile – had the top age-graded performance in the Canadian Master XC champs last fall etc.
Awesome running Gals!!! Go Club Northwest!
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