Dates announced for 2011 USATF masters nationals in Ohio
The biggest revelation in Gary Snyder’s latest chair report (see it here) is the time frame for the Ohio masters nationals in 2011. It’s been a mystery till now. The meet will be July 28-31 at Baldwin-Wallace College in the Cleveland suburb of Berea, Gary says. This means affluent age-groupers can attend three major meets in a little over a month: the National Senior Games in Houston (June 16-30), Sacramento worlds (July 7-17) and the Cleveland nationals two weeks later. Now the question is: Which meet will have the most miserable weather? (My money is on Houston.)
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From weather.com for the particular months in question (I have listed the average high and low):
Sacramento: 61 to 94
Houston: 74 to 91
Berea: 62 to 81
Looks like Berea has close to ideal weather, and this is the one month of the year in which Berea’s high exceeds 80.
The average low for Houston speaks volumes — an average low that high means humidity. And Sacramento’s average low is just 61 (dry). And so this seems a rather easy task. From best to worst:
1. Berea, Ohio
2. Sacramento, California
3. Houston, Texas
The campus of Baldwin-Wallace College (Berea, Ohio, our 2011 site) is very appealing, the track and field facility is said to be outstanding (I believe I have to credit Linda Carty for that observation –hope I am right), the weather is almost perfect, etc., etc. And now for the obvious question:
On an experimental basis, and only because of the unique circumstances of 2011, will the regular deadline for Berea be extended to July 20 (only 8 days before the meet starts)? How about accepting entries with a penalty up through July 27 (a Wednesday, the day before the meet)?
Clearly, there will be more US entrants at Sacramento worlds than there will be total athletes at Berea a couple of weeks later. If we demand that people get their regular entries in 27 days before the meet starts (as we did this year for Sacramento nationals), that would be a deadline of July 1, or 6 days before worlds. Without drawing on entrants at the worlds, Berea is sunk.
But why would someone enter Berea before competing at worlds? Sounds like the time for an experiment. Otherwise, we might have an historically low turnout at Berea.
I live just north of Houston, just got back from a funeral in Cleveland, and have been to Sac State many times as well. I go with Peter rather than weather.com.
On my two big training days in the summer I head for the track at 6:45 AM because of the heat. Our All Comers at 5 PM aren’t too bad at The Woodlands because we have a breeze and shade. But Rice and U of H (two possible venues) have no shade.
All of that said all of our meets around the area are in the middle of the day and it isn’t as bad as you would think.
The only hotter/humid-er place I’ve ever been than Houston in the Summer is Galveston in the Summer.
The good news, is that to warm up you’ll just have to step outside.
See (some of) you in Berea next July then…Since 30-34 year old age group can’t compete at Worlds and I miss turning 35 by 3 months for Worlds, it’ll only be Outdoor Nats for me.
As noted above, Mellow Johnny, everything I have read indicates that Berea (Baldwin-Wallace) will be a wonderful site. The key issue, of course, will be the interplay with worlds in Sacramento. Many people will go to both, some will go only to worlds, and some will say, “It’s Berea, and that will do it for me.” How will the deadlines for the two meets be set to promote big turnouts for both?
I have run at B-W three different times while in the late 1990’s. I loved the track, mondo if I remember correctly, and fast. I think it will be a great facility for the Nationals.
Sounds like a great facility. Agree, PT, that putting the deadline as late as possible will help.
I think distance runners will opt for Sacramento if they’re accomodating for the heat this year at Nats. If not, I think several will say “forget Sacto” and opt for the cooler temperatures of Berea.
I grew up in northern Ohio about 25 miles from Berea and ran at Baldwin Wallace a few times (back in the day). However, every time I go back home to visit, I have some of my worst runs because the humidity gets me. I was back there 2 weekends ago and ran a local 5k for the heck of it. It was 72 degrees at 9:00 am with something like 85% humidity. For somebody like me, coming from a dry climate (but hot – it’s 100 today), running in sticky, humid weather is pure misery. It feels like the air is so heavy that I’m dragging around an extra 10 pounds – which I am, because that’s how much more my shorts & singlet seem to weigh when fully soaked through and dripping with sweat. I’ve run a 1500 at Sac State in 107 degrees and not felt as miserable – except for my feet burning up from friction on the hot track.
But – my family hasn’t seen me race since high school, so it’s probably Sacto and Berea for me next year.
I cannot do 3 meets in 6 weeks. Aside from the cost of airfare to fly from Boston to Houston and back, Boston to Sacramento and back, and Boston to Cleveland and back- just the thought of all the hours in the air makes me tired.
It is a no brainer for me -I am not going to the NSG in Houston. They are advertising that most of the sports will take place indoors in air conditioning. Well hello – the outdoor track is not indoors and if past history is indicative of future performance, they will run the longest events (the 1500) in the heat of the day. Unless someone who cares about the health of the older middle distance competitors takes charge of the track meet, running a 1500 m in mid-day to early afternoon in high heat and high humidity is asking for disaster.
The competition in my age group will be at the WMA in Sac- that will be my first choice. And if I survive that in one piece I will be at Baldwin-Wallace for the Masters. Some of the overseas competitors may be there too. Those should be great meets.
Thanks for input, Jeff Mann. Guess I was too quick to rely on the very pleasant average temperatures in Berea; usually they tell you something. We’re almost through with June, and Berea has had just 5 days this month in which the high EXCEEDED 85 degrees — now that is mild. On 9 of the 28 days this month the high never got out of the 70s — that is really mild.
But you have been there, Jeff, and you mention the humidity. Oh, well. I am guessing that Berea is just too close to a major body of water (Lake Erie). Mmmm….. I guess Sacramento has a better climate than Berea, but what do I know? Should stick to masters T&F, I guess.
Speaking of masters T&F, Jeff and Kevin (Paulk), the M45 800 remains at 9 entrants. Since the regular entries closed, a lot of the events have shown very little change.
If you think these dates(in 2011) are close together, then you should recognize the problems faced by a Midwest Association Masters’ Chair. When do we schedule Association Masters Championships and then look to the Region Masters Chairs problem. Will local Region competitors attend a meet scheduled after the World Meet and before Nationals, do we compete with the World Masters meet setting, do we compete with the National Senior games or do we just forget about our local programs! Of course, we can try to extend the local meets into August, but most universities have their football programs starting up in August and the track facilities are taken over by football or soccer. Just thought I would share another side of the scheduling problem with our athletes. It is never an easy job. However, most of us compete because we enjoy the competition, have friends that we would not otherwise see and sometimes just use the meet as a practice. It is not all about winning! We are just lucky to have people willing to find a facility, take the time to publish and entry form and obtain a sanction, and find a way to pay for everything (some of our competitors won’t compete without electronic meet management–sometimes I wonder wnat happened to the use of stop watches!). My suggestion is for anyone who hasn’t run a meet to get involved and help on a local and regional level. You will find the experience both rewarding and frustrating. Fortunately, many of our athletes recognize the amount of effort necessary to make this all possible and hearing a few people say or write “thank you” makes it all worthwhile.
Steve Cohen, Illinois Masters Chair and Midwest Region Coordinator
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