Germany’s Guido Müller has been a masters sprint/hurdle legend for years. But now he’s really done it — become the first man to break 60 seconds in the 400-meter dash past 70. This is comparable to Ed Whitlock’s sub-3 marathons at 70-plus. Guido took a second off the listed M70 world record of 60.77 by Australia’s Hugh Coogan in 2006. Already the M65 WR holder  at 56.37, Guido  last Saturday clocked 59.67 at a two-day meet in Elsenfeld, Germany. He also won the 100 in 13.27 and the 200 in 27.06. The only American close to sub-60 at 70 is Bob Lida of Kansas, who ran 61.0 at Riccione worlds in 2007. So Guido is the masters track Roger Bannister, winning the race to sub-60 against Bob’s Wes Santee.  On the Age-Graded Tables, 59.67 is worth 43.67. Sadly, Bob Lida isn’t entered at Lahti, according to the final Status of Entries.Â
Guido is rarely at rest. He’s been burning up tracks for decades.
Männer M70Â
100 m Vorläufe                          06.06.2009
1. Vorlauf           Wind: +0,0
 1.Müller Guido         38 TSV Vaterstetten         13,27 sec q    Â
 2.Jakob Karl          39 LAZ Obernburg-Miltenberg     14,46 sec q    Â
 3.Schmid Dr.Karl        38 SV Detag Weiden          14,53 sec q    Â
 4.Hartlaub Hermann       35 LAZ Obernburg-Miltenberg     15,99 sec q    Â
  Vogt Hans-Wilhelm      37 LG ESV Augsburg-TSV Neusäss    n.a.
2. Vorlauf           Â
 1.Messer Karl-Heinz      37 LAZ Obernburg-Miltenberg     17,37 sec q    Â
  Wolf Horst          37 LAZ Obernburg-Miltenberg      n.a.
100 m Endlauf          Wind: +0,0            06.06.2009
 1.Müller Guido         38 TSV Vaterstetten         13,27 sec
 2.Jakob Karl          39 LAZ Obernburg-Miltenberg     14,46 sec
 3.Schmid Dr.Karl        38 SV Detag Weiden          14,53 sec
 4.Hartlaub Hermann       35 LAZ Obernburg-Miltenberg     15,99 sec
 5.Messer Karl-Heinz      37 LAZ Obernburg-Miltenberg     17,37 sec
200 m Endlauf          Wind: 0,0             07.06.2009
 1.Müller Guido         38 TSV Vaterstetten         27,06 sec
 2.Jakob Karl          39 LAZ Obernburg-Miltenberg     30,05 sec
 3.Hartlaub Hermann       35 LAZ Obernburg-Miltenberg     32,43 sec
  Wolf Horst          37 LAZ Obernburg-Miltenberg     abgem.
  Mensch Werner        35 MTV 1881 Ingolstadt       abgem.
400 m Endlauf                          06.06.2009
 1.Müller Guido         38 TSV Vaterstetten         59,67 sec
 2.Jakob Karl          39 LAZ Obernburg-Miltenberg     71,13 sec
  Scheidt Willi        39 TSV 1861 Herzogenaurach      aufg.
  Mensch Werner        35 MTV 1881 Ingolstadt        n.a.
  Konopka Manfred       31 LG Hof               n.a.
7 Responses
Absolutely sensational. How is it possible that someone 70 or older can run 59.67? Wow. I guarantee you that 99.9% of Americans aged 40-49 (I’m counting everyone — tennis players, golfers, swimmers, bowlers, skeet shooters, walkers, curlers, discus throwers, softball junkies, couch potatoes, the whole 40-49 population in the U.S.) could not break 60 seconds if they went out tomorrow to try it. And yet someone in M70 has done it.
This is almost unbelievable. Makes you realize how good Bob Lida is (mentioned above in this report) and why I told the announcers at Penn Relays that Bob was known as “Superman.”
One thing is certain. None of us mortals wishes to engage Mr.Guido in an age graded race at any distance. The amazing performances of these track ‘outliers’ are often simply unbelievable, are they not? Still, we know its real, and perhaps that is exactly why its important for all of us to continue to believe in the remarkable capacity of the willful athlete that lies within each of us.
Mr. Guido has not only stamped his athletic resume with legendary status, he also inspires us all to reach beyond any internal limit.
Ditto the above thoughtful comments from Rick and Peter. No thought required for mine:
IN-FREAKIN’-CREDIBLE!!!!
An AG 43.67. Could Michael Johnson, Jeremy Wariner, etc achieve this at age 70?
Peter…….. check his photo above. 99.9% of 50+ probably cannot bend their knee as shown while tying his shoe. I admire him. I recall his beating the field in the IH in Gateshead in 1999 by about 40 meters in a 300m race.
I would like to add to Cortland’s comment. I remember the race in 1999 very well, because I was one the field 40+ meters back. Guido was almost thrown out of the race because he wasn’t in the assembly tent when the officials came to lead us out. He was already out there waiting for the ladies to finish so he could run over the first three hurdles (twice) before the race began ! He beat Jack Greenwood’s 10-year-old mark by 1.2s. On the final day the Germans, who had four in the 400 finals, were expecting to get an easy win in the 4×400, but they didn’t count on a surprise from US (only two in the 400 finals). Martin Adams led off and probably brought the baton in 1st (3 curve stagger). Mack Stewart was 2nd with a clear lead. Paul Johnson gave Larry Colbert a nice lead with Guido about 10+ meters behind. Guido went out hard and came within about 5 meters of catching Larry in the last 50 meters, but then faded and lost by about 7 meters. The US set a new M60 record (3:53.87). I was geting the splits and Paul’s wife was video taping it. Larry’s split was about 55s. In the 60 and 100 hurdles Emil Pawlik has often given Guido a run for his money, but nobody comes close in the IMs. Ron K.
My first chance to see Guido and all the masters track & field athletes was at Buffalo in ’95, where I went as a spectator. I watched in awe as Courtland won the M50 400M hurdles and went under 60 (59.02). Guido won the M55 400M hurdles, also in an astounding 58.92. Earl Fee won the M65 300M hurdles in 45.71, which was faster than the M60 winning time!
That’s just mind-blowing. – And, actually, Mr. Taylor, if they went out tomorrow, they’d be lucky to do 400m in under 2 mins.
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