Brit breaks legendary hurdles record by Jack Greenwood

The king is dead. Long live the king. That’s my reaction to news from across the Pond that after 32 years, Jack Greenwood’s untouchable M50 world record in the 400-meter hurdles has fallen. A British-based masters mole sent me the link to this report on Howard Moscrop’s latest eye-opener. A week ago, Howard at age 50 ran the 400s in 57.68 — admirable even as a flat-400 time. And he told reporter Gareth Moorhouse: “I think I can knock a little bit more off the time. If the weather conditions are favourable I think I can go under 57 seconds.” Incredible. A masters world champion, Howard broke Greenwood’s WR of 58.1 set July 3, 1976, in Gresham, Oregon. Howard’s meet results were here.


On the WMA Age-Graded Tables. a 57.68 corresponds to an Open (ages 20-30) equivalent of 46.444 seconds. The IAAF world record, remember, is Kevin Young’s 46.78, shown here. Helping Howard in his season debut over the long hurdles: the M50 barrier is 33 inches, instead of the 36-inchers he ran until recently.
My mole, M45 hurdler/sprinter Jon Tilt, writes: “On top of his own records, Howard is a superb coach. His Masters group travel to see him about once a month throughout the year. Last season he helped Jane Horder to the W50 300m hurdles WR and Neil Tunstall to the M45 400m hurdles World championship gold. He also coaches hurdler David Moles and myself.”
About five years ago, American M50 hurdler Steve Kemp announced his goal of breaking Greenwood’s fabled mark. He and others, including fellow Hall of Famer Courtland Gray, fell short.
Jack Greenwood turned 82 in February, and lives in Colorado after a long stay in his native Kansas (a KU Jayhawk like myself). I even interviewed him for Kansas Alumni magazine in the late 1970s, not realizing what a legend he’d become in masters track. In the late 1980s, Jack had heart-bypass surgery.
Not counting a laughably wrong 1974 M35 high jump record, Jack’s 58.1 had been the oldest age-group world outdoor record on the WMA men’s list. (The oldest women’s outdoor record on the WMA list is a 19.05 (62-6) shot mark by W40 Antonina Ivanova of Russia in August 1973.)
Here’s the article, in case the link

https://ambienpro.com/zolpidem/

goes dead:

ATHLETICS: The cream of the Crop
By Gareth Moorhouse
SWINDON Harrier Howard Moscrop insists there is plenty more to come from him after he smashed a 32-year-old world record at an open meeting in London on Sunday.
Moscrop clocked 57.68 seconds in the 400m hurdles at Walton to break the world M50 (over 50s) record set by American Jack Greenwood, which has stood since 1976.
After dipping well below Greenwood’s best of 58.10, 50-year-old Moscrop has finally written his own name into the record books.
The maths teacher from St Josephs calculates he can go even faster in future, and has already set his sights on breaking the 57-second barrier this summer.
Moscrop said: “In training I had been running times to suggest I would go close, but it was my first race of the season so you’re never quite sure how it will go.
“It was something I have been working towards. I had won golds at the European and World Championships but never broken the record. I guess you could say this completes the CV.
“I think I can knock a little bit more off the time. If the weather conditions are favourable I think I can go under 57 seconds.”
Since joining Harriers back in 1991, Moscrop has won a clutch of medals at veterans level, but the world record had always eluded him.
But after a phone call from a friend in February he decided to chance his arm in Walton at the weekend, with spectacular results.
“One of the problems with breaking records is that you have to make sure they have electrical timing,” revealed Moscrop.
“It’s usually only at the big events, but a friend of mine told me there would be electrical timing in Walton.
“There were a couple of other people in the race too, one who was much younger than me, and he really helped to drag me round.
“The winner’s time was 56.70 and I knew I was about eight metres back, so I thought I had a good chance.
“It was a nice feeling when I found out I had the record.”
Moscrop is now back in training for the summer season, with the British and European Championships to look forward to in July.
10:18am Thursday 24th April 2008

Print Friendly

April 27, 2008

One Response

  1. Warrfen Graff - April 27, 2008

    This is truly a remarkable achievement! The results are under Open Meeting Results April 21st/full results. Would love to see a photo of Howard!.

Leave a Reply