Masters athletics should join IAAF party with own world relays meet

Why not one for masters? We like islands, too!

Last year, the IAAF held its first World Relays Championships in the Bahamas. World Masters Athletics and national affiliates should follow suit. This could boost interest in our niche and give many more people a chance of setting a record — in many more events. This idea was sparked by a note Wednesday from world champion middle-distance runner Stephen Chantry. Steve writes: “After returning from indoor nationals at Winston-Salem this past weekend
I was thinking about all of the relay records that were set. After I ran the 3000 on Friday and the mile on Saturday, I joined a group Saturday afternoon and we went for the 4×800 record for M60 but came up short. Still, just being able to compete again after my extensive Achilles surgery was wonderful. Anyway, the bottom line is that relays are fun. Everybody loves them.”

Sacramento worlds saw many great relays, which made golden memories.

Steve suggests a Masters Relay Carnival that would contest the traditional 4 by 100, 200, 400 and 800 and adds:

But it could also include sprint medleys, distance medleys … shuttle hurdles and 4 by 1500 and/or mile. With a USATF sanction, these could result in certified records and we could perhaps even establish a database for these otherwise ‘non-standard’ relay distances. As far as I know, there are recognized NCAA and world records for the DMR, sprint medley, etc., but not for masters level.

Wouldn’t it be something to see as a blend of sprinters and middle distance runners get together for a sprint or distance medley. And I
would love to gather my top miler friends to go after a 4xMile!

You bet!

WMA and USATF should jump at this concept. It gives elite (and non-elite) runners a chance to go full-blast — unlike masters nationals or worlds, where relay medals are prized but races include injured/exhausted entrants.

A World Masters Relays Championships might entail a qualifying meet on the national affiliate level. Or members could self-select (meaning that more than one foursome could represent a country). The IAAF relays meet might provide a template for selection procedures.

The major difference, of course, is we pay our own way. So WMA might lean toward the all-comers scenario.

To test out a masters relays meet, some major event like the Hayward Masters Classic could carve out a schedule for the typical relay formulations.

To keep field-eventers interested, a Masters Relays could incorporate an event I took part in back around 1970 — a high jump relay. At the Tustin Relays in Orange County, a team’s top four throwers or jumpers would form a “relay” in which combined marks decided the winner.

A typical masters meet could do this by merely scoring teams by top four marks.

The Penn Relays next month show how popular masters relays are. Add shuttle hurdles, DMR and SMR and you have some serious events.

I’m contacted by people every year asking about masters relay records outside events contested as indoor outdoor worlds. I have to reply: Sorry, none exist.

Wouldn’t it be great to have age-group records in a half-dozen more events? Sorry, record-keepers. The athlete comes before convenience.

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March 25, 2015

6 Responses

  1. Horace Grant - March 25, 2015

    Great idea Steve! Sorry, I missed my leg on the 4×800. Congrats on your performances! I am still recovering,running and progressing, but not quite back yet. I have come a long ways though since my two ankle surgeries last year. Anyway, I would enjoy running on any of these relays and would love to see an All Masters Relay meet!

  2. Christel Donley - March 25, 2015

    Great to see a picture of those Four. Pat Peterson, we miss you! Everybody else is still competing!

    Our 75 plus 4 x 100 m was an absolute Highlite,
    and the picture I have,
    still shows our joy!

  3. Liz Palmer - March 25, 2015

    I’m a member of 3 AR relay teams and each one of them was a exciting synergistic experience! If this concept ever gets off the ground I would not miss it for the world.

  4. Ken Stone - March 25, 2015

    I’m told that the deadline for WMA General Assembly proposals this year is May 15. Hit up your national reps for a request to schedule such a meet. Would it be be best of WMA world meet years or the year between (when indoor worlds are held)?

  5. Robert Thomas - March 25, 2015

    The problem with this proposal is can masters athletes afford to add another event without hurting some of our existing championships.

    If you were to hold such a meet on an World Indoor year, it would have a negative effect on the NCCWMA meet and I don’t think it would well received from the European countries as it would interfere with the European Outdoor championships.

    Even if you had every country in the world send a team for every relay in every age group. The meet would not make enough money to pay for the facility for a two day meet on it’s own.

    If something like this was going to be successful. I think we would need to host it in conjunction with a meet already in existence, like the Penn relays. We could just have a USA verses the World Masters division.

    I have tried to get several of the European and Canadian teams to join us at the Penn Relays, but masters athletes only have so much money and time off to compete. So as much as I would to see something like this take off, I don’t think it would be successful without some type of funding from the WMA/IAAF or each countries governing body.

  6. Don Drummond - March 26, 2015

    Great Concept. Great Vacation destination as well.

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