Zambia Olympian Kalembo shooting for M50 world record at 400
According to an Atlanta newspaper article yesterday, Douglas Kalembo is gunning for the M50 world record over 400 meters this summer. Douglas Kalembo who? Glad you asked. He’s a 1988 Olympian (with a best of 46.89) who ran the 800 at 1991 IAAF worlds in Tokyo (taking last in a heat won by Johnny Gray). The Swiss site mastersathletics.net says he ran 51.49 last year in Atlanta. He once held the Zambian national 800 record of 1:46.93. He’s the real deal. “He was hand-timed Tuesday in 50.1, spiking his confidence for the USA Masters championships this summer,” says the article. But his birthday is listed as July 24, 1960 — and Sacramento nationals start July 22, so he’ll run in the M45 group at Sacto. The listed M50 WR is Fred Sowerby’s 51.39 from 1999. So that seems in reach — after nationals. Go get it, Douglas!
Here’s the story, in case the link goes south:
All shapes and ages at all-comers meets
By Mike Tierney
For the AJC
9:19 p.m. Friday, May 7, 2010On a square blanket in the verdant infield of Emory’s track and field stadium, Michael Williams, 62, is contorted in a post-race stretch. He had just lost by several strides, to the second-to-last guy, in his first 100-meter dash in 28 years.
Just outside the oval, Douglas Kalembo, 50, is limbering up for what the native of Zambia hopes is a faster 400-meter time than the world record in his Masters age group.
Between them, a pint-sized sprinter in a Spiderman outfit is churning through a one-lap race. His name is Clifford Cooper IV, and at III — er, 3 — years old, is a veteran, having competed since he was 1 1/2.
Grassroots track and field makes for strange bedfellows at all-comers meets, especially the ones at Emory operated by the Atlanta Track Club. The club hatched the open-invitation affairs in 1972, two years after its somewhat better known brainchild — the Peachtree Road Race.
The all-comers series, which runs Tuesday evenings through June 15, draws from all walks. Race-walkers, even.
Former distance runner Gerald Miller, 67, switched to the twisting, turning oddity of race-walking after a knee injury. “I attempted to pray it well,” he said. “Didn’t work out for me. Now this meets my endorphins needs.”
Bare-chested, he kept an eye on his wrist timer while flat-footing to the finish line first. “Not too many people in the state can stay with me,” said Miller, who tours the Southeast for suitable competition.
On occasion, a track celebrity — an all-star-comer — shows up, using the scene for training or to simulate a big-time meet.
Home-grown Olympics champion Gwen Torrence got a taste as a youngster and remained a semi-regular during her glorious career. Gail Devers, Craig Virgin and Antonio McKay made appearances at or near the height of their VIP-ness. Hurdler Angelo Taylor, a 2008 Olympic gold medalist, still does.
Each entrant sets his or her own degree of difficulty. At the season opener earlier this week, two women dallied through the 1,500 meters side-by-side, chatting all the way. Running outfits range from spiked cleats to sneakers, athletics shorts to cut-offs.
Kalembo, the Zambian who moved to Atlanta to prep for the 1996 Olympics, brought a serious agenda. A 400-meter semifinalist in the ‘88 Games, he is taking dead aim at the 50-54 age group standard of 51.39 seconds in the Masters program for adult athletes. He was hand-timed Tuesday in 50.1, spiking his confidence for the USA Masters championships this summer.
Three years ago, Kalembo quit working to train full-time. “Just this,” he said. “So I can say I did it.”
Reggie Mason, a physician, may be less ambitious. But, Tuesday, after his first 1,500 since turning 55, he recited the date and time of the event at the USA Masters. Not that he’s looking forward to it.
A hurdler in college, Mason said “now it’s more for the joy.” He introduced his daughter to the sport years ago at an all-comers meet. Today, she is a college sprinter.
The parent-child dynamic enhances the meets, a rarity in sports for promoting shared inter-generational experiences. Moms and dads join their kids — sometimes in the same race — creating a festival of hugs and high-fives.
Ozzie Binion, 62, attended all-comers in the ’80s to watch his son and daughter. When they grew up and out of it, the onetime schoolboy hurdler rediscovered his fondness for running and is a regular.
“I love it,” he said. “This is super.”
For the first two decades, participation fee was $1. Then inflation hit, doubling the cost, where it remains today. Not per event, but for all events. Kids play for a dollar.
“This is off the scales [good],” Gerald Miller said. “For two bucks?”
Amid the running boom of the ’70s and ’80s, some meets ran until midnight to accommodate the turnout. They were once conducted on Wednesdays until a preacher complained his Bible study session attendance was down.
John Curtin recalls his introduction in 1985 when they were held at The Lovett School. Next morning, he dispatched a letter of praise to the track club.
A few years later, the Emory cross-country coach became meet director when the all-comers moved to its ninth site — his campus.
“I’d never really seen anything like it — an amalgamation of all levels of the sport into one,” he said. “It’s kind of a celebration of track and field in a non-threatening environment. You had families out there. Old guys. Kids.”
Little Clifford Cooper, who delighted his elders — that would be age 4 and up — by covering 400 meters with focus and grit, is evidence that the all-comers means what its description says. He’ll be back next week. And the following …
“The only time he ever cries,” said his mom, Kim Cooper, a teacher and track coach, “is when he’s not allowed to run.”
11 Responses
Interesting, Ken. That 50.1 is extremely impressive, but hand-times are sometimes questionable. On the other hand, the error in a 400 time should not be as large as the differential (from a FAT mark) in the 200. It appears that Mr. Kalembo has an excellent chance of beating Fred Sowerby’s record after he turns 50.
There is another athlete you might want to watch, Saladin “Sal” Allah. Check out his anchor at the Penn Relays a couple of weeks ago and you will see what I mean. And as you’re watching, remember that Sal was not 100% physically for this event.
I ran a lot of All-Comers in Orange Co. in So. Cal. Loved ’em. I loved to outrun the younger cats. Still do.smile. I’d run the 880, mile, and 3-mile XC at one meet. Hmmm, I’m still doing that after all these years. Crazy? Probably. Havin’ fun? You know the answer. Smartty
these records would fall many times but there are not that many masters meets to run i have been running collage D1 and 3 meets to stay fit and im a M50 runner,can we have more usatf meets to run we can see more masters records fall.good luck to hem
@ Ken
the website http://www.mastersathletics.net is not Swiss but Austrian. Switzerland (Schweiz, Suisse) is a little country in Europe and is bordering to Austria (Österreich, Autriche). Also our website http://www.swiss-masters-athletics.ch is a little website an not very updated.
I have personally timed this guy in races. He is legit and if he decides to grace us with his presence, the record will be broken. I did not get his official time, but everyone around me clocked him around 50-51 seconds last week in the 400.
He will be a great addition to the m45 or m50 400 group.
Last year he went 51.4 by himself in a auto time. Looked like he had a lot left at the finish as he slowed up 30 meters before the finish.
See results
http://www.atlantatrackclub.org/Assets/Atlanta+Track+Club+Digital+Assets/Images/T$!26F+Complete+Results.pdf
Nicely said, Don. With this information coming directly from you, I know that Douglas Kalembo is the real deal. There should be some very nice 400-m dashes at Sacramento this summer (including the M45 with Mr. Kalembo), and the entries have been coming in reasonably well.
Bob Lida, Irene Obera, and Steve Robbins are among the great sprinters who have already entered the meet (although of that group only Lida has entered the 400). Deadline for regular entries is June 25.
m800 final is on 24th. First round is on 22nd.
If there IS a first round on the 22nd and he runs the final on the 24th, is the time on the 24th considered a m50 time? Because he had to run the first round as a m45.
Matthew, I think it would count as an M50 record if it broke the existing standard, even with the trial as a 49-year-old. He would, of course, be competing in M45 in the 800. You would need a rules maven to give you a definitive answer, however.
By the way, masters T&F, in the absence of standards, should not be running trials in the 800. You could justify trials (perhaps) if the runners were tightly bunched, but that is virtually never the case in the masters 800. In addition, many people are working full-time and don’t want to come out to the meet on a Wednesday to appear for a Thursday trial that might well be a “phantom” (called off because of no-shows). Others could make the weekend final but don’t want to spend so much money for a hotel (starting Wed. night). And there are no doubt others who don’t think they can run two hard 800s and a 1500 (if they are also in that event).
I don’t even want to guess how many entrants (and entry dollars) have been lost to masters T&F over the years because of this problem with the 800, as people solve the issue by simply not entering the event. And yet the problem continues, and it will be a factor this year in Sacramento (we will have fewer entrants in the 800 than we should).
By the way, last year (Oshkosh) there were 800 trials listed for five groups: M40, M45, M50, M55, and M60. Four of the five groups rolled to a final, and M50 did indeed have trials. Those were completely unnecessary, however, as the spread was 37 seconds between the fastest qualifier and the slowest. You don’t need trials with such a spread.
In international championships it has often happened that someone had her/his birthday during the championships, got a medal in the lower age class and a record in the higher one if the meet was on or after her/his birthday.
New WR in m50 400 Ran in the same heat with the m45 group
2010 ATC Masters & Open Track & Field Meet – 6/22/2010
Emory University
Results
http://www.ptgrouponline.com/Results/2010/TF/ATC/Full%20Results%20-%206-22-10.htm
Event 13 M50 400 Meter Dash
===================================================================================
Name Age Team Seed Finals H# Points
===================================================================================
1 kalembo, Douglas M50 UNA 50.02 2
2 Carter, Richard M53 UNA 1:05.84 1
new WR in m45 as he has not yet turned 50. Will have both Records if he submits paperwork. I am sure he can duplicate efforts next eyar.
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