Ida Keeling poised for Penn — and W100 world record in 100
At last. Ida Keeling, who turned 100 nearly a year ago, is ready to run a sanctioned 100. She’ll have quite an audience — at the Penn Relays. If she doesn’t get an illegal aiding wind, the title of W100 world-record holder is hers. The sked shows a mixed masters over-80 race at 3:45 p.m. of Saturday’s events, April 30. She’s already the oldest female sprinter. The New York Times profiled her Friday, and we learn a lot more about her life. Go Ida! (And someone bird-dog her USATF record paperwork!)
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Complete list of masters events (with entry lists if you click through):
http://pennrelaysonline.com/Results/schedule.aspx?l=MAS
I hope someone will make sure the paperwork is done and done properly. And I hope there will be a video of her race.
Mary, I am sure there will be a video, but as far as getting the paperwork done properly, that’s a horse of another color. As you may know, Penn has a new surface this year. Would you happen to know the name of the surveyor at Penn (I don’t)?
The surveyor’s authorization is no. 6 on the record form. In place no. 3 is the starter’s signature. Penn has about 4 starters, but to find out which one and then get his/her signature you may have to go out onto the infield to consult with the chief starter. Unfortunately, only those officials with yellow hats (the highest level) have free rein to go out onto the infield.
No. 8 is the place for the referee’s signature. As far as I know, Penn has NEVER had a masters referee, and the referee who was used several years ago for masters is adamantly opposed to filling that role again.
No. 9 Zero control test (ZCT) and FAT photo. I don’t think it’s a good idea at the biggest, fastest-running meet in the US to ask the FAT chief to stop what he is doing and give you the results of the ZCT and a copy of the photo. This means that he will have to provide these components at a later date electronically. Will he be able to do that?
A week from today will be Ida’s big day, and I’m expecting a crowd of about 47,000. Security will be huge; do you think that anyone (I mean ANYONE) will be able to get everything necessary for approval of Ida’s record?
I do believe that Ida now has the distinction of being the world’s oldest female track and field athlete still in competition. For a long time, Ruth Frith of Australia held that distinction; then, Gabre Gabric-Calvesi of Italy was the oldest woman. Now, unless someone can correct me, I believe Ida holds that distinction.
It’s just a number. Think about her mindset Wow to even train to run the 100 is great. She could be home somewhere relaxing and playing cards with a few of her other senior friends instead she’s entered in the biggest outdoor meet in the U.S. Amazing!!! someone please capture this moment on film once in a life time.It makes you want to just run for ever and never stop.”What if everyone Ran”what do you think our world would be like. Think about it.
Rob and Rob: Ida is something else, as they say. To run on the big stage just a month before you turn 101 is an experience everyone should have.
My main concern is the wind reading. It’s rare for this race to have much of a tailwind, but in 2011 we did have +2.4 meters per second, which is considered excessive.
Regardless, after the race someone will have to violate Penn Relays protocol (and get past security) to go out on the field and chase down the wind gauge operator. It’s my understanding that the wind speed reported on the official result will not be permitted as evidence of what the actual wind speed was.
If this person succeeds in reaching the wind gauge operator he may, of course, be told that the official speed is as reported on the official result and that no signature is required.
Regardless, I’d hate to be that person. If he’s either arrested or gets to the wind gauge operator but is turned down in his quest for a signature, the record will go out the window.
Peter: Your fears of something going wrong in the ratification of Ida’s record are well-founded. Another terrible example of people not seeing the forest for the trees. Among the many great stories bound to come out of the Penn Relays, Ida’s WR is one of the greatest. Sounds as if possibly the only winner will be bureaucratic rules.
Thank you, Rob Jerome. I’ve handled masters records at Penn going back to at least 1997, when I took care of Mary Slaney’s still-standing W35 mile mark of 4:26.10. I can’t even remember the last time I asked the wind gauge operator to stop what he was doing and look up the wind speed for a past event.
If I were that operator, I would simply refer the questioner to the official results, which will say that the wind speed was +/- __ meters per second.
You may not know, Rob, that in January I resigned as the processor of masters records at Penn. It’s too difficult.
Champion Goldy, 99, is in Ida’s race. He says he was hospitalized for six days a couple weeks ago.
Here’s a Q&A:
http://www.flotrack.org/article/41315-race-for-the-ages-99-year-old-to-race-100-year-old-at-penn-relays
Too bad about “The Champ,” Ken, but he’s a gamer, as you know. If memory serves, he used to hold a world indoor mark in the 200; I think that was for M85 (The Champ turns 100 in January).
For those processing records at the meet, Ida Keeling will pose quite a challenge. The hardest part, in my estimation, will be getting the results of the zero control test. With about 46,000 in attendance on Saturday and the meet moving at 80 miles per hour, can you imagine telling the chief of FAT to stop what he’s doing and give you both the ZCT result and the photo showing Ida?
A second challenge will be wind speed. I understand that the wind speed shown on the official result of the meet will not be allowed as evidence that the wind was of a particular speed. My understanding is that those processing Ida’s record will have to corral the operator of the wind gauge and ask him to sign off on the speed, even though it’s already known to anyone who wants to look at the official result.
A third challenge is that Ida holds no track records at all, as far as I know. Someone will have to inform her that she must forward a copy of her passport or birth certificate to someone she doesn’t know. For an athlete who’s going to be 101 next month, that might present some challenges.
Yes, I have covered some of this material elsewhere, but can you imagine how tough it’s going to be for the record processors at Penn? Here we have the biggest meet in the US, and unlike the much smaller masters meet in Albuquerque last month, nothing is automatic — everything must be filed.
Apologies to all for repeating my earlier posts in some detail. I am really worked up about the records situation at Penn. At Albuquerque last month I announced 218 races in three days with no lunch, but that was nothing compared to the challenge of processing masters records at Penn, something I’ve done since at least 1997.
As noted elsewhere, I quit this job earlier this year. It’s now so hard, so frustrating, that someone else with more skill and a higher level of patience should take over. That being said, don’t be surprised to see me at this year’s meet acting in some way as a “helper.”
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