Masters exhibition events: 800 indoors, mile outdoors
The latest issue of National Masters News is out, and it reveals the masters exhibition events to be contested at the USA national (open) championships in 2007. Amid the Indy convention summary, Jerry Wojcik writes: “(Mark) Cleary, Masters Invitational Program, reported that a masters 800 for men and women will be held at the USA Open National Championships and a mile at the Open Outdoor Championships.” (I suppose the word “indoor” was dropped from the 800 meet reference.) The qualifying standards are stiff — 2:04 for men, 2:32 for women at the indoor meet and 4:35 men, 5:45 women outdoors. More details should be in Masters Invitational Program section at usatf.org in a week or so.
So it’s another year in which masters throwers and jumpers are out of the loop.
However, I think Mark is just mindful of some new M40 talent coming into the masters program that might challenge some old records. (Jim Sorensen will debut as an M40 in 2007. In 2006, he ran the 800 in 1:50.89 and the mile in 4:02.66, well under the M40 American Record of 4:09.61 set by Tony Young in 2002.).
Still, the 800/mile axis has seen more than its share of exhibition races in recent years. Time for a change.
Speaking of change, the January 2007 issue of NMN is the first under publisher Randy Sturgeon and editor Juliet Wahleithner. But you’d know that only if you looked at the page 2 credits. Everything else about the monthly publication looks the same as it has for the past 15-20 years, including the formula layout of the cover and the mix of columnists inside. The postage was paid at Eugene, Oregon, so obviously the move to Sacramento (or technically Orangevale, California) is still to come.
I’m guessing that the transition has yet to take effect, and Randy/Juliet relied on Suzy Hess and Jerry to put out this last issue.
I’m looking forward to real change in the February 2007 issue. (Ann on the NMN Web site.)
Best of luck, guys!
8 Responses
Ken, you may have forgotten, but USATF National has set perameters for the Masters Invitational Program. We can run anything from 100m to the Mile. They have no interest in Field events because they do not draw the attention that running events do at the Open Nationals–it’s hard to get the people in the stands to pay attention to a Masters event for the time that it takes to run a field event.They will not give us that kind of time in their meet anyway. It took an act of Congress to get the short Hurdles in the Outdoor Nationals year before last. In fact they shut me down the year before. I had to raise a big stink to get it in two years ago.You need to know that the best is being done with the latitude given(which is not very much).The first step to getting a field event into the Invitational program would be for some top Masters Field eventer to go to say the Texas Relays and sell them on a Masters Field event.Unless you have a deep field your chances are slim and none.It’s also hard for them to accept age graded performances so a wide range of ages is a difficult sell.Anyway last year was a Sprint year and this year is a middle distance year. Those are our two choices basically–by the way no long distances races will be held either for that matter.The middle distances should produce fantastic competition in 2007.We had a 1 2 3 finish at the Worlds in the M-45 800m and the stud that was third at the Worlds Jeff Lindsey was only 4th at our Nationals–we quite possible could have the top 6 800 meter Men in the World this year. That does not mean they will all be healthy or that they will choose to race at one of these events( but that is the difficulty we are faced with every year in putting these fields together). Also Jim Sorenson turns 40 in May of 2007–he ran a 4:03 mile last year and a 1500m that converted to a 4:02–so he could have a legitamate shot at being the first Masters Athlete to break the Four minute barrier outdoors. We will do our best to woo him to Indy–but most guys of this caliber try to go after their best times in Open races where they can get sucked along instead of them setting the pace or relying on a rabbit to do the perfect pace for them.We will have the online entry set up shortly–probably within a week–with the holidays, USATF convention and the Cross Country Nationals–I was just a little bit busy this month.
I had not noticed that the latest (January) issue of NMN was under the new editors – it seemed to be the same old same old with lots of big headlines for a handful of award winners at the USATF convention and in tiny print the list of Track and Field age-group award winners. I almost needed a magnifying glass to find those. If I had not had a personal interest in looking at the list I would have missed it.
Hopefully the new management will pay more attention to the website. Generally it has been very dated – personally I rarely look at it as the information about “upcoming” is always out of date, I just noticed a clickable item for 2006 Championships -nice – it is now December 28th – was it there before? And the “new photos” are as new as 2005. Frankly why bother to have a website if it is so out of date? Perhaps the new management will devote a little more time to updating the website – either that or kill it off.
I do not expect something updated daily – like Ken’s blog – but it should have timely news – such as “Upcoming january 2007 events should be posted before the beginning of January – not afterwards, and 2007 Championship lists would be nice by January 1 2007 and not the end of December 2006.
What has happened to all those photos NMNews took since 2005? Lots of photos were taken at national meets as well as others – and they never turn up online. I hope the new management will have a new attitude about the online photos.
This is not to say that Suzy and Jerry did a poor job with the website – I think it was a matter of priorities – and the website was not a priority. Times have changed – and hopefully an up-to-date website will be among the priorities of the new owners.s
I believe that the secret to getting masters recognized at some major meets is to get started in some local college meets. I have been having age-graded sprints at the University of Texas at Arlington for several years. this year we will have probably 4 teams of various age groups (70, 60, 50 and 40) running a 4 x 200 at the UTA Invitational on March 30 as well as an age-graded 200. the age graded races have been a crowd pleaser and give us some good exposure.
Wayne Bennett
Dear Mark. Thank you for supporting the always popular 800 meter race. Natuarally I am biased. but I also believe it is the very best spectator race in all of track & field. I shall strive to qualify for this great race in boston.
KP
Perhaps the throwers could dress in clown costumes. Maybe that would attract some interest.
I agree with Tom. Maybe we could throw Athens alfresco style… real old school:) Kidding aside, As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, maybe someone with some money and athletic interests (Mark Cuban?) could organize throwers and other field events athletes to separate from the USATF and run field only meets for local, regional and Masters and Open championships. AFAA.(American Field Athletes Association) Bottom line is that the USATF only wants the bucks from us. Separate from the USATF, sit back and watch the fireworks begin!
I agree with Tom. Maybe we could throw Athens alfresco style… real old school:) Kidding aside, As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, maybe someone with some money and athletic interests (Mark Cuban?) could organize throwers and other field events athletes to separate from the USATF and run field only meets for local, regional and Masters and Open championships. AFAA.(American Field Athletes Association) Bottom line is that the USATF only wants the bucks from us. Separate from the USATF, sit back and watch the fireworks begin!
I want to correct something about National Masters News. Our first issue is the February issue that goes to bed about mid January. As I said before we do plan some changes but they will be gradaul.
Concerning the website we will be making some major changes there and hope to make it a place to go to regularly for information. I recently sent information to update the Upcoming Issue for February and the 2007 Championship Schedule and other information. It should be posted soon.
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