Performing artists have Carnegie Hall. Indoor track has the Millrose Games. Nearly a century old, the meet is tailored for the elites, with officials wearing tuxedos. It also invites masters (except for 2005). This coming year, Millrose management is contesting 4×4 relays for men and women. News of the events is posted on the Central Park Track Club’s Web site.

In a note posted Dec. 7, the CPTC reports:
“There will be a 4 x 400m relay for masters men and women at the Milrose Games at Madison Square Garden on Februay 3, 2006. The fastest 6 mens’ teams and 6 womens’ teams will be considered, based on time trials run by December 30, 2005. If you are 40 years old or older, and would like to run this relay, please email Devon Martin immediately at dmartin@cravath.com. The CPTC teams will run their time trial at the December 30 MAC Meet at the Armory, so we need to start assembling the teams now.”
Me again.
I learned of these relays via an athlete from another club, who was not happy about the limited distribution of the news. (The announcement was made on an inside page of the CPTC site, not prominently on the home page.)
My correspondent complained: “How can they expect competitive fields without letting anyone know? … Once again Masters are ‘set up’ for failure. Why has nobody contacted YOU or National Masters (News)?”
Uh, I don’t know. I’ll try to find out.
This last-minute announcement is in contrast to that for the 2005 Millrose masters events, which were telegraphed way back in April 2004:
“There will be a Masters Championship of America Indoor Sprint Medley
Relay (400m – 200m -200m- 800m) in the 2005 Verizon Millrose Games at
Madison Square Garden. Each team must be composed of two 40-49 year olds and two 50-59 year olds. Relay teams are invited to be formed from each of the seven USATF association regions; one team from each region will be accepted.
ENTRY DEADLINE: December 7, 2004.”
But the race fell through — wasn’t contested. A long, sad story.
Frank Schiro of Sprint Force America gave me details of this in the course of a recent Q&A interview (part of my TEN FROM KEN series). I haven’t finished preparing the interview yet, but here’s how Frank replied to a question on masters events at Millrose:
“Masters Track HAD an incredible history at the Millrose Games… Ed Small (director of track at the Armory) had worked with (meet director Howard) Schmertz for many many years coordinating the masters 4×400. Ed did an incredible job but wanted to ‘phase out,” so I got involved in 2002. By 2003 I was coordinating the masters 4×400. Event Networks took over the meet in 2004 and dropped the masters 4x 400 almost immediately.
“The stated reason was lack of interest on masters’ part, which I might add was partially true. I had a hard time finding teams to support this event. I contacted the new meet director, Skip Stolley, and discussed plans I had to make this a successsful masters event again.
“Stolley was great and promised a masters sprint medley (200 200 400 800) for 2005. He agreed that this should be a event with national focus and agreed to provide rooms for masters athletes from out of town. We had a great ‘package’ in place. I was again amazed at the LACK of interest by Masters.
“I had been making calls to Stolley as we were coming up to the fall to discuss the event. He was no longer returning my calls. Eventually I got (hold of) someone at Event Networks, who told me there had been some ‘new developments’ and someone would call me back regarding this.
“I explained to that person that I had been working on this project for over a year with Skip Stolley/Events Network and needed some answers. A day ot two after this call. I received a call from a David Katz, the new meet director. He was arrogant and oppositional. He said Stolley had been ‘let go’ and he was now in charge.
“He said that since I had nothing in writing from Events Network, they ‘owed’ me nothing. I was atounded at this kind of attitude from a person who was supposed to be in charge. Katz stated that there would be NO Masters relay and that was that — a 25-year-old history gone, not to even mention the year I had spent on developing this project.”
Me again:
I’m hoping Devon Martin, a W35 middle-distance runner, will have more success organizing the 2006 version — so she’ll be able to pose again for a shot like this (she’s second from the left).