Ithaca Journal running columnist Diane Sherrer reports a dramatic postscript to the Hartshorne masters miles at Cornell University. She writes: “Interesting footnote: Mike Trunkes of New Paltz, one of the invited M40 elites, saved a life at our post-race party at the Boatyard. A regular patron, not part of our group, had a heart attack and landed on the floor. Mike, a 25-year lifeguard and swim instructor, jumped up to check on the guy. He was blue and not breathing. Using CPR, he revived the guy and he was then taken to the hospital. Not sure of the outcome. The local responders let Mike do it, and were very impressed with his skills.”

Se we masters are good for something!
That alone makes the 39th edition of the Harthshorne worth the effort.
Sherrer — herself a runner for 29 years mentored by race founder Jim Hartshorne — saw two accounts of Saturday’s event published. One was in the Ithaca Journal, and the other for for the Star Gazette (smaller, with the local milers highlighted there, she says).
“They edited down the IJ article for space, of course.,” Diane writes. “But I did mention in the longer article that the (University of Washington) 300-meter track was not legal for ratification of records. I even called Tony on it, and he laughed and said, ‘Yeah, we do lots of illegal things there.’ A good joke.’
“We all expected him to run sub 4:10, but it didn’t happen. That’s why we bother to watch; we never really know the outcome. Everyone was a class act. It was a great day.”
In addition, Diane shared a link to an online 2006 Hartshorne photo gallery, with images by Adam Engst. Great job. Great photos. Great event.
Tony and Maria finish their miles:

Here’s Diane’s article, should it get zapped from the Web:
Article published Jan 23, 2006
Women set records, men slower than expected at master’s Hartshorne Mile
By DIANE SHERRER
Special to The Journal
ITHACA — An international field of the world’s best masters runners competed Saturday at the 39th annual Hartshorne Memorial Masters Mile held on the Barton Hall track at Cornell University, and as anticipated, a pair of records were set in the elite women’s race, including a pending world mark for women 55 to 59 years old.
In the elite women’s race, Marisa Hanson, 42, of Pleasant Valley, N.Y., won her first Hartshorne title in 5:02.69, breaking the existing meet record of 5:08.55 set in 2003 by Patti Blanchard of Dieppe, New Brunswick. (Blanchard’s time remains a women’s 45 to 49 age-group world record.)
Hanson, a former two-time All-American in the 400-meter hurdles at Ithaca College, won a prize purse of $300 for the victory, $400 for breaking the 5:15 performance standard and a $200 bonus for the meet record.
Lesley Chaplin-Swann, 47, of McDonough, Ga., placed second in 5:16.74, and 43-year-old Mary Grene of Andover, Kan. was third in 5:17.28.
Another record fell when Carolyn Smith Hanna, 55, of Pittsford, set a pending American and world indoor mile mark for women 55 to 59 years old, posted a time of 5:43.75, barely edging the previous mark of 5:43.96, set in 2002 by Joni Shirley.
There were no records in the men’s race, which was won by Tony Young, 43, of Redmond, Wash., in 4:20.72. The top-ranked masters miler in the world won a prize purse of $300 for the victory, and a performance bonus of $400 for breaking the time standard of 4:26.
Mike Egle, 44, of Glenview, Ill., placed second in 4:33.03, while 43-year-old Gladstone Jones of the Bronx made some moves in the final 50 yards to place third in 4:35.12. The Central Park Track Club 800-meter specialist outkicked both Jim Derick of Big Flats (4:35.29) and Tom Dalton of Schenectady (4:35.77).
The elite men’s veterans’ (ages 50 to 59) mile was won by Jerry Kooymans, 50, of Markham, Ont., Canada. Kooymans was awarded the Charlie McMullen Memorial Award named in honor of the Hartshorne Masters Mile multi-champion who died in 2003, at the age of 52, of cancer.
The men’s race was expected to be a runaway time trial, with Young racing the clock in pursuit of a M40 American indoor record (sub 4:11), and the meet record (4:17.84), which has stood for 13 years. Egle, one of the four premier masters milers in the world, and all the others, were prepared for rabbit (pace-setter) Scott Weeks of Groton, to lead the field through the half in 2:05.
“I was hoping if we came through at 2:05 or 2:06 at the half, I could maintain it,” said Young, the 2005 national masters indoor M40 champion in the 800 meters and the mile. “I was surprised, when on my own the last two laps, how badly I felt and how tough they were. I didn’t feel so good, so I said to myself, ‘OK, let’s run a 4:12 and be done with it.’”
It was time that was always on Young’s mind, not so much tactics or the probable victory.
“I wanted to do my own thing, and I figured if I did that, I’d win by 10 seconds,” said Young, who has run 800 meters outdoors in 1:52 and a 4:05 indoor mile at the University of Washington’s 300-meter track, not acceptable for ratified records. “But every time I attempt a time, it’s physically and mentally frustrating. Sometimes you get it, and sometimes you don’t. But I didn’t feel that pressure at all today; I just wanted to give it a good show. I’m disappointed because a 4:20 is a workout time for me. So, I’d like to say, ‘Let’s go at it again!’”
Egle, the 2004 Hartshorne Mile champion and 2005 runner-up, probably would be willing to go at it again, too. A gold medalist in the 800- and 1,500-meters at outdoor nationals – and a top masters at the Chicago Marathon in 2:37, Egle was eager and inspired to race with Young.
“I knew the rabbit would take it out really fast, so I wanted to run for time and go with Tony as long as possible,” said Egle. “I hit my best split at the half (2:10), and I was happy with that. But I ran out of gas the last three laps. Tony was too strong for me. He’s the best masters miler in the world, and I’m amazed by his talent. He sets the bar so high, and every time you have the chance to run against the best, you cherish it.”
The elite women standing next to Hanson on the starting line also knew they were about to race against the very best. They all knew Hanson had run a 5:03 indoor mile a week ago in the Armory in New York City.
Because of that performance, Ithaca’s Natalie Whelan, the elite women’s rabbit, was instructed to pace the women to a split of 2:30 at the 800-meter mark.
“I was really nervous because of what was expected of me, and of the other women who were racing,” said Hanson, who qualified for the 1992 Olympic trials in the steeplechase. “I was hoping I could at least match the 5:03, and not disappoint myself or the meet directors. At first, I also was disappointed there was going to be a rabbit because I wanted the race to unfold naturally. But I soon realized it was actually to my benefit that (Natalie) was there.”
Hanson, directly on the heels of the rabbit, passed through 800 meters in 2:31 with plenty of energy reserves to spare. At times, it looked as if she would pass the rabbit.
Roughly six seconds back, a second-tier race within a race was playing out among Chaplin-Swann, the outdoor national masters gold medalist in the 800 and 1,500; Grene, the 1,500-meter gold medalist at the World Masters Championships; and Stiner, who holds the still-pending F40 American record in the 1,500 meters.
Not only was Chaplin-Swann racing for position, she was aiming to break what she thought was the F45 indoor mile record (5:18.10) before Stiner could do it.
“I had a pretty good idea Marisa would take it,” said Chaplin-Swann, who recently set pending F45 American records in the 800 (2:22.37) and 1,500 (4:53.62). “My race was really with Sarah, and that’s whom I was concentrating on all the way through. The pace went out a bit slower than I expected, and when Sarah passed me around the third lap, I just sat on her shoulder.”
Meanwhile, Hanson continued to widen the gap.
“I knew they might be close, but I didn’t see any shadows,” said Hanson. “I said to myself, ‘You’re here to run fast, and you know what you have to run each lap – 37s. I wanted to keep rolling with the momentum I had going. Getting the meet record means a lot to me, and I’m thrilled. I didn’t expect it, but I was hoping to be able to do it and I feel lucky.”
Chaplin-Swann edged Grene for the runner-up position, and Stiner, the 2005 Hartshorne Mile runner-up, placed fourth (5:20.22). But at the finish Chaplin-Swann’s joy turned to disappointment when she learned the F45 American record had been lowered last week to 5:11.1.
“I was happy, but a little deflated at not getting the record,” Chaplin-Swann said. “I did beat Sarah, and she’s one heck of a runner. We’ll all meet again, and the F45 record will flip flop this year. It should be a fun season.”