Masters Track News and Muse

GeezerJock promised. GeezerJock delivered. The new masters sports magazine, which debuts in print form this month, has already made a big splash via its online counterpart. One of its first articles focuses on the USATF Masters Nationals this past summer in Decatur, Illinois. Sean Callahan does a great job in depicting the various kinds of athletes who show for nationals. He even mentions me, God forbid. Anyhoo, here's the milestone first masters track article in the free-subscription magazine:

Another great year for masters records. Another year where said records will be overlooked, ignored and otherwise unrecognized by USATF and World Masters Athletics -- if past seasons are any indication. While working to update my records page, I came across some amazing new masters bests. Most will fall through the cracks at record-ratification time because of "lack of paperwork."

Pete Mulholland, my esteemed British colleague in masters observerdom, wrote to remind me of two other notable records. At least one is certain to gain WMA ratification: the 47.82 in the M40 400 by Italy's Enrico Saraceni. His world record should be a slam dunk since it occurred at the European Veterans Athletic Championships in Denmark. Those folks take their stats seriously. The other record is in the W35 5000. At an elite meet in Brussels, Kenya's Edith Masai clocked 14:42.64 to break the 4-year-old record of 14:45.35 by American Regina Jacobs.

I've received two communications on the case of the missing 13.79 Roger Kingdom hurdles mark from the various season lists. Roger himself wrote me: "I have no clue! Maybe we need to ask them (USATF) or the Slippery Rock University coaches about that." And USATF statmeister Glen McMicken wrote me: "I am still looking into several marks in different events before the final lists are released." However, one clue on why the mark was spiked came in a Track & Field News forum.

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The double decathlon isn't as tough as a day in Iraq, but for athletes of any stripe -- especially masters -- it's the most demanding test of skill, will and endurance in athletics -- even worse than the Ironman, I'd wager. On Oct. 8-9 in Lynchburg, Virginia, 49-year-old Rob Duncanson of Southern California scored 11,325 points for an American M45 record in the 20-event marathon. Shortly afterward, he recounted his experience in the double deca, where only one other masters athlete (M50 Brant Tolsma ) competed. He also told of his inspiration to survive the ordeal.