Details trickling in on Penn Relays M40 4×4 relay

It was wet at Penn last weekend, but rain didn’t fall on the featured M40 men’s 4×400 relay Saturday afternoon, which saw one team lose a big lead, get second and then find itself a winner upon disqualification of the first quartet across the finish line. Several participants have shared their observations.


First, the raw results:
Pl Time ID Affiliation/Runners
1 3:31.65 A Southweast Sprinters
Kettrell Barry, David Jones, James Chinn, Paul Brown
2 3:38.27 L Central Park TC
3 3:42.35 H Bruin Spiked Shoe
4 3:42.71 G Second Wind TC
5 3:44.28 E Maryland Masters
6 3:46.72 M Shore AC
7 3:51.54 I Philadelphia AC
8 4:04.54 N Boeing Team Osprey
DQ 3:30.28 B All Stars
Rawle Crichlow, Chris Faulkner, Ben James, Courtney Muhammad
Kettrell Berry, back in San Diego from Philly, writes:
“Well, we didn’t break the record for obvious reasons, the weather. The crowd was great and motivating. I ran first, 49.6. David Jones 52.1 (2nd) Jim Chinn dropped a 52-something, but as he was handing off to Paul Brown, he dropped the baton. We had a 30-meter lead on the All-Star Team. Once Paul was able to pick up the baton, Courtney Muhammad from Arizona was gone. Courtney ran 51.8, so Paul probably dropped a 52.0.
“The All-Star team consisted on (1) Rawle Chrichlow, Phoenix, (2) Chris Faulkner, Los Angeles, (3) Ben James, New York. I am not sure why they got DQed. I was given the “Gold” by Jim Chinn later that evening in my hotel room.
“No one in our group had a clue regarding the DQ. It will come out soon.”
Jim Chinn writes:
“On the 4×4 we were in first by 25 meters when a wet baton was dropped between myself (third leg) and Paul Brown (anchor). He made a gallant attempt to regain the lead but failed. The All Star team must have been DQ for either going out of their lane on the first lap,or cutting in too soon on the 3-turn stagger.”
Jim adds:
“A slight correction — if you look at the updated results, I was actually 3rd in the 100, the original results were in error.”
Rob Todd, a member of the fourth-place team in that race, writes:
“I would like to know as well (about the DQ). None of us saw where the DQ came from. Regardless, those guys can run!! Also, without the dropped stick by Southwest, they would have been a lot closer to that record. The whole anchor leg was broadcast on TV….nice! It was a great race and great experience for our team (2nd Wind TC) to compete with such fast runners. As far as rain, it held off and then the sky opened up just seconds after our race. Temperature….cool, wind….little.”
Finally, masters expert Pete Taylor sent me two notes — the first suggeting that the DQ was due to the three-turn stagger. But then he wrote:
“I now have an entirely different reason for the disqualification, but I must find out more. I am not entirely sure that the disqualification was correct.”
Stay tuned.

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May 3, 2005

One Response

  1. Dave Neumann - May 14, 2005

    My team Bruin Spiked Shoe took third (4th if no DQ). A video of the entire race (centered on my team though) is currently being burned to a CD. Not sure if the reason for DQ is on there. If someone can provide a method by which I can upload it to this site I will.
    Dave Neumann

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