Masters Track News and Muse

Wanna lose your mind? Try to pick the best masters record in history. It's not enough to know all events. You have to factor in age and stuff. The question came up today when a British masters journalist asked me: "We are running a feature on 'best ever' moments in athletics. What in your opinion is the 'best ever' masters' record?"

Ran my first 100 of the season today at the Flo-Jo International youth meet in San Diego. Time isn't important (I didn't want to pester a busy guy at the finish line), but we had a great time. A few other masters ran, including M40 national champ Kettrell Berry (he ran a smooth 11.14) and recent indoor nationals medialist Greg Pizza, 51, who clocked 12.26 with a slight aiding wind in my race. (I was second or third.) It's pronounced PIE-zuh, BTW. He trains with M45 stud Jim Chinn at Cal State San Marcos.

I get these notes all the time. Here's just the latest: "I am writing to inform you that I took many photographs at the Indoor Championships in Sweden. They are available for viewing at www.rikko2photo.co.uk and wondered whether you could put my website address on your federations website or in its publications. Kind Regards, Lesley Richardson"

Rex Harvey of Ohio, a world age-group record holder in the decathlon, was one of several international masters officials to reply to my doping questionnaire. Rex is vice president-stadia for World Masters Athletics, the world governing body of masters track. Although he speaks for himself in the Q&A, his remarks typify the stands of many in masters leadership.

Let's cut to the chase. The new issue of GeezerJock magazine is far better than anything we've seen for our niche. If it folds, it's our own friggin fault. Not that I have any insider knowledge of its balance sheets. But when you get the Spring 2005 issue (and you WILL get it if you have a lick of sense), you'll see that it's embraced the Sports Illustrated formula of fine photography, great writing, jazzy snippets and old-fashioned imagination. It rocks.

Winston Thomas of Britain is that rare masters leader -- a world-class athlete as well as international official. Among other things, he's heavily involved in making sure that the 2005 World Masters Athletics Championships in Spain come off well from a technical standpoint.

Sprint start maven Dick Richards of Encinitas, California, was nearly unbeatable in the late 1990s -- both in the short sprints and the long jump. He dominated the 1999 Gateshead world masters meet and set several world age-group records along the way. Then about 2001 he disappeared from the track. Now he's back -- tanned, rested and recovered from throat surgery.

Ed Whitlock is god. A masters long-distance god, at least. Sunday at age 73, Ed broke the 3-hour barrier for the marathon for the third time as an M70 runner. I don't normally pay attention to the roadies, but Whitlock's story has a cool twist. He was gonna be challenged -- and seriously -- by a Dutch M70 runner at Sunday's Rotterdam Marathon. I don't think the Dutchman cracked 3, but Whitlock had a time in the 2:58s, according to the balky results site.

Actually, it's just a story. But a great human-interest one. The late Steve Prefontaine is a heroic icon to many runners. One is Jay Kimicekic, an exercise professor at Miami University in Ohio. Jay entered the 2003 Eugene masters nationals partly as an homage to Pre. Check out Jay's moving tale.

So far, I'm aware of two candidates for president of World Masters Athletics -- Australia's Stan Perkins and Italy's Cesare Beccali. Of course, I'll be conducting another of my patented snarky Q&A's. But this time, I'd like to tap your collective wisdom and curiosity. What would y'all like me to ask our distinguished candidates? Y'all know that I'll ask about drugs and insider topics like: Whatcha gonna do about WMA's budget deficit? But I welcome your own ideas.

Co-webmaster Dave Clingan has announced an elite masters mile benefit race near Portland, Oregon, in mid-May. Dave writes: "This race will be the premier event at a youth meet called the Oregon Relays. The entire meet is a benefit to raise money to send disadvantaged youth athletes from Oregon to the National Junior Olympics Championships this year. Your participation will not only showcase the talent of masters milers to hundreds of youth athletes and their families, it will help this important cause."

Mark Cleary and Andy Hecker of Southern California, two longtime masters athletes and USATF officials, are clashing over Mark's insistence that Andy's Southern California USATF Association masters championships have a "pre-entry process." Andy has long advocated banning late fees for athletes who make the effort to show up at a meet. Following are Mark's report on that USATF association and Andy's follow-up.

At least once a month someone writes me to ask: Where can I compete in my area? Usually, I refer them to the meet calendar on this site or their local USATF association. Now I've found another rich source of meets that are masters-friendly: directathletics.com.

The Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California, is a showcase event -- attracting thousands of fans and some of the world's best athletes to its Sunday finale every spring. So when masters are allowed to compete, you gotta capitalize. This year we didn't. The event organizers -- John Cosgrove and Stan Whitley -- blew it big time. And pretty much admit it.

Yesterday I witnessed the sorry sight of the great Marion Jones trotting in for a 55.03 time in the invitational 400 at the Mt. SAC Relays. Pathetic. But pathos is apt, considering her circumstances. This morning I posted a note on the Track & Field News message board recalling how the great Jim Ryun made a spectacle of himself in 1969, walking off the track in the middle of the AAU nationals. And what has this to do with masters? We've outgrown the drama queen thing. I hope y'all are running for the fun of it. Period.

Dr. Brant Tolsma, a coach and masters deca star, is a veteran of four double decathlons who twice set a world record in the M50 age group. Today he sent me a little invitation that he wants to share with other masters who love misery -- or aren't afraid of the stiffest test in sports. The world double-deca championships are this October in Virginia. Start training.

When people ask me where to find a race, I frequently suggest checking with their local college for an open meet. The big fear of many masters, however, is that competing with collegians is a recipe for humiliation and embarrassment. To that I reply: Be not afraid. I wasn't afraid Saturday, and it was fun!

Ever wondered what went into the organization of the WMA World Championships? Right. Me neither. But I've come into possession of some email that reveals the concerns -- mundane and major -- of the WMA folks overseeing the San Sebastian world meet this summer. One interesting debate going on: Should WMA Council members have to pay the same fees as the athletes?

If it's late April, it must be time for the best masters relaying of the season. The Penn Relays are here. Masters run Friday and Saturday, often right smack in the middle of the busiest times. Olympians and masters, cheek-by-jowl in a jampacked Philly stadium. The Penn masters relays are often world-record attempts, and this year is no exception. SpeedWest TC is going for the M40 4x4 record.

George Mathews' May report as USATF Masters chairman is online now, even ahead of distribution by National Masters News. The major news is that USATF Masters has set a goal of becoming financially independent from USATF "within one to three years." Very interesting -- and disturbing.

I saw our movie this week. By "our," I mean just that. "Racing Against the Clock" -- a beautiful documentary by Boston-area filmmaker Bill Haney -- belongs to all of us now. It's our anthem and our showcase.

Wish I were there. But results from first day at Penn show great -- and close --competition in the sprints, especially M40. The Penn Relays featured seven masters events today. Could these results exceed that of this summer's Hawaii masters nationals. Could be.