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
One Response
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!.
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