Houston Elite team shatters M55 WR in messy finish at Penn

Averaging 55.27 a leg (well under their age), the Houston Elite team of Charles Allie, Bill Collins, Horace Grant and George Haywood today shattered the listed M55 world record in the 4×400 at the Penn Relays. They might have gone faster, since both Houston anchor George Haywood and Central Park’s Anselm LeBourne dodged several women at the finish line. It was a mixed relay, with 22 teams on the track! (Check out this Flotrack video of the NASCAR pileup.) Anselm actually had the lead with yards to go (after making up a 10-meter gap). But with baton raised in victory, he slowed, perhaps misjudging the finish line, and George sped past. Houston Elite clocked 3:41.07 to beat the listed WR of 3:43.59 set by a British team at 2007 Riccione worlds. But Houston cheated, since Charles Allie is 61! (Kidding. Relayists can drop down.)

In a dramatic second leg, M55 Bill Collins held off M50 Val Barnwell.


The M40-plus 4×4 went to Southwest Sprinters, who missed the world record by 4 seconds. The team of  Winston Chambers, Khalid Mulazim, David Jones and Robert Thomas clocked 3:24.65. Their race video is here.  Joe Summerlin, 77, won the 75-plus 100 in 15.05. Video is here. Oldest in the race was Champ Goldy, 92.

I think it’s time for Penn to have a separate masters women’s 4×4. The Athena TC team was close to American club record pace, and who knows if they were slowed by the mass of masters entrants.

Masters Mixed 4×400 50 and older

Event
151
Friday 4:30 PM

Results


PL School/Affiliation Mark Athletes ID
1 Houston Elite 3:41.07 Charles Allie , Bill Collins , Horace Grant, George Haywood A
2 Central Park TC A 3:41.24 Ben James , Val Barnwell, Alston Brown, Anselm Lebourne B
3 Mass Velocity TC A 3:50.18 Cochise McBride , Tucker, Carroll Blake , James Morton D
4 Sprint Force America A 3:54.60 James Chinn, Greg Ouzza, Neil Steinberg, Archie Glasby C
5 Mass Velocity TC B 4:11.03 Michael Bay, Tom Gillen, David Rausch, Jel Lang Ley J
6 Shore AC 4:12.30 Keith McQuitter, Tony Plaster, Rick Lapp, Bob Andrews G
7 Athena TC A 4:14.13 Charmaine Roberts, Joan Hunter, Maryline Roux, Lorraine Jasper E
8 Greater Philadelphia TC A 4:15.76 Jack Comiskey, Anthony Pulgiese, Bob Reynolds, Chuck Shields M
9 Pony Express TC 4:18.53 Dan Slickenmeyer, Kaestner McDonnough, Keith Witherspoon, Jeff Hughes F
10 Millrose AA 4:20.54 Sonya Badger, Janice Reid, Stephanie Rhue, Terry Ballou P
11 Team Osprey 4:22.42 Randy Beddoe, Charlie Dipetro, Pat Good, John Bondi K
12 Philadelphia Masters 4:33.25 Dan Fannon, Ben Crowle, Jim Keller, Tom Jennings Y
13 Garden State TC 60+ 4:37.39 Glen Schmehl, Jeff Horick, Ralph Fusco, Paul Henry S
14 Mass Velocity TC C 4:37.98 Arnie Pollinger, S Flowers, Dan Kelly, Jeff Elliot I
15 Athena TC B 4:39.56 Caren Ware, Terri Rath, Julie Hayden, Jane Booker

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April 25, 2009

18 Responses

  1. Sonya Badger - April 25, 2009

    I totally agree with the comment about the masters women having a separate heat in the 4×400. It’s totally ridicuous to put us out there with 15 men’s teams, especially at the starting line. If there are at least 6 women’s teams entered, then we should have our own heat.

  2. Cheryl - April 25, 2009

    agree, women masters should have more events also

  3. Joan Hunter - April 26, 2009

    22 teams on the track at one time, whether men, women, or mixed, is ridiculous and dangerous, especially with only 6 lanes to make the baton exchanges. Why is it that only the masters runners have to put up with this in the 4×400?

  4. Cheryl - April 26, 2009

    When watching the video I realised how close our team was to getting lapped. I have to thank my teammates for giving me the baton in the nick of time. Maybe all the women’s teams should petition to get a women’s only event next year? Any one in?

  5. peter taylor - April 26, 2009

    Because I was the first masters coordinator at Penn, and because I was there on Friday and Saturday to help out, I will give my recommendation. The logical person to contact would be Phil Felton, the current masters coordinator.
    Dave Johnson, of course, is the director of the Penn Relays, and normally one does not start with the CEO. Anything that Phil Felton does has to be approved by Dave Johnson.
    One logical possibility is to have a masters 4 x 400 for women on Thursday, which has been “women’s day” the last few years. The crowds are not quite as big, but the good part of that is that it’s a bit easier to walk around.
    Another possibility would be to have a separate masters women’s 4 x 400 on Friday or Saturday. One must be cognizant, however, of the reality that some coaches think the masters are given too much track time already. If the masters are given another race, that would be one less race for the collegians and the high schoolers (and believe me, they want more races).
    My recommendation, then, would be to contact Phil Felton and ask him to go to Dave Johnson about adding an event.

  6. peter taylor - April 26, 2009

    A brief follow-up to my point above:
    Attendance figures for this year’s Penn Relays:
    Thursday: 24,315
    Friday: 39,501
    Saturday: 47,904
    To be frank, I felt that Friday was tougher than Saturday in terms of walking around the facility. But the main point is that the crowds are decent on Thursday and very good on Friday and Saturday.

  7. Ken Stone - April 26, 2009

    Good points, Peter!
    But what about the argument — made regarding the lack of a women’s 800 masters race at Mt. SAC — that a Thursday or Friday race is a hardship, since working women can’t get away to Penn?
    Would the ladies prefer a Saturday start with a massive field or a Thursday/Friday start with a race of their own?

  8. Joan Hunter - April 26, 2009

    I don’t think I am going to run this event next year unless they create a women’s only heat. Sure, Penn is a big, famous, exciting meet, but too many aspects of it are not conducive to running fast (at least for my old bones!) and ARE conducive to injury. I was talking to a guy on the starting line who broke his hand and a rib last year after he fell! Not worth it.

  9. Cheryl - April 26, 2009

    Thanks for the info Pete…I think if Athena and Greater Phila both contact Phil Felton that would be four teams that ran on Friday. The younger runners and coaches of them should use masters as an example of how to use running as a way to stay healthy and in shape in years to come.

  10. Cheryl - April 26, 2009

    I forgot …I would want a race of our own …nothing against the men

  11. Ocean - April 26, 2009

    I agree that women masters should run seperately from the masters men. It is the only race that women have to run with men in the entire Penn Relays. I watched the video and it is ashame that you can’t really see and enjoy watching all of the women that competed. These women are some of the best runners in the country and are due the respect that every other athlete gets. I am sure if their was a womens events more women teams would compete in the relays. I also think that there should be other events for women masters like the men have…….I agree with Cheryl, this is absolutely nothing against the men and all to do with celebrating the excellence of womens masters track. I thank you Peter for seeing that things should change and you are willing to help us out. I am planning to run next year and I hope that I will be part of history in the making.

  12. Anonymous - April 26, 2009

    Does anyone have a video of the women masters running from beginning to end?

  13. James Morton - April 26, 2009

    First of all, congrats to the Houston Elite for an incredible performance and the World Record. Kudos also to the Central Park Track Club for a fantastic performance. What a fantastic race! Both teams made us proud to be masters.
    Secondly, I totally agree that masters women should have their own race and the race should be on the same day as the masters men. The fact that we, as masters, are running in our 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s is a tribute to track and field and should be highlighted at all major meets, especially meets of the caliber of the Penn Relays. This is especially true for women who have additional challenges of working, child birth and the primary responsibility for the day-to-day care of children. Women are an incredible example of the strength of the human spirit and should be recognized with a race of their own; and we, as men, should fully support their right to equity and fairness.
    Thirdly, with child obesity choking the life out of children, especially girls, we should provide girls with every possible example of fitness among women. What better example than masters women.
    Lastly, I know how much I enjoy running against men in my age category. Women have the same preferences/wishes and every effort should be made to honor them. In speaking with a couple of women after the race the 50+ 4 x 400, they stated that women masters get so few opportunities to run that they (women) take what they can get. Our sisters should not be made to feel that way. Equity requires . . .

  14. peter taylor - April 26, 2009

    Times change, and what is offered at athletic events has to evolve to meet those changes. That said, I will give a little history from my unique vantage point of having been the first masters coordinator in the history of the Penn Relays.
    There used to be a 100 dash for women 40+, but it had to be abandoned for lack of interest. As I recall, the late, great Louise Clark won the final offering of this event.
    Unfortunately, there were only two other women who ran, and neither one could break 16 seconds, as I recall. The event was already in trouble, and this 3-woman race in which only 1 was an actual sprinter was the final straw, at least as far as conmpetition at Penn. Now, of course, things are much different.
    The women 40+, men 50+ relay races are my invention. The rationale was that there were not enough women’s teams for women to have their own event. Now, of course, there may be enough.
    The third, very large factor is that there is some opposition to masters from the college coaches — those masters want too much track time !!!!

  15. Terry Ballou - April 26, 2009

    I am completely on board with the comments above—women deserve their own heat and the chance to shine and be recognized. Putting 20+ teams on the track at one time is a recipe for disaster, and unfair to both the men and women.
    Cheryl, Millrose will be happy to petition along with Athena and Greater Philadelphia—there is strength in numbers. Let’s work together on this!
    Women’s masters may have started out with paltry numbers, but the quality and depth of the women participating today is astounding.I don’t care if we run Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, but let us have our own race and showcase how far we’ve come!

  16. Cheryl - April 26, 2009

    I would suggest giving it a week..let them sort through any issues they have remaining and than all of us in a nice way suggest the women have there own heat for all the reasons stated above. I am sure Central Park and NJ Striders can jump in on this.

  17. sue - April 27, 2009

    Count CPTC in. It is actually becoming a safety issue. I am really surprised that no one got really injured. What a train wreck.
    We did have a slight bit of excitement when they were splitting us up before the race—silly for us to think they were going to put us up into separate heats—but the cheers were incredible from all the women. The officials must have thought we were nuts.

  18. Alison - April 30, 2009

    I agree with Joan, Cheryl and Ocean. Masters Women need recognition in their own right along with the HS and College women. We exist ! – The way it is now is just overwhelming. Way too many teams on the track.

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