Neni Lewis WR in W50 weight throw among many Sac highlights

Ed and 15 gold

Who’s the athlete of the meet at Sacramento worlds? The answer might not come until WMA picks its IAAF Best Masters (male and female) in three or four months. Could it be Canada’s Ed Whitlock for his 10K, 5K and 1500 star turns (the latest being a world record 5:48.93 in the 1500 Friday morning)? Or Aussies Marie Kay (W50 hep WR and golds in the long jump and 300 hurdles) or M55 Keith Bateman for his own 1500 WR of 4:12.35? Nominations are flowing in daily. Patrick Toland of RecruitingTape.com shared his video of American Neni Lewis with her latest W50 world record:

Simon Butler-White likes his friend Bateman for top athlete honors, writing:

Keith sets 15 WR


Aussie ace Keith Bateman broke the M55 WR in the 1500m yesterday, his third gold of the meet after also winning the 5000m and 8km XC, and his fifth WR in nine months (1500m, mile, 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m).

Only event-scheduling difficulties left him unable to contest the 10,000m (on the same day as his 1500m heat).

Unless he changes his mind, Keith will contest the marathon on Sunday – his first for so many years that he was unable to nominate a PB for it when entering.

Meanwhile, here’s the latest meet writeup by Bob Burns of the Sacramento Sports Commission:

Training in a graveyard keeps Canadian young

Ed laps a Yank at 1500 finish.


Ed Whitlock is 80 years old and runs two to three hours every single day. He trains in a cemetery located near his home in Milton, Ontario.

“It’s marginally running,” Whitlock said. “It’s closer to jogging than running.”

There was nothing marginal about the race Whitlock ran Friday at the World Masters Athletics (WMA) Championships at Sacramento State. The smooth-striding Canadian broke his second world age-group record of the 10-day event, winning the men’s 80-to-84 1,500 meters in 5 minutes, 48.93 seconds. The previous record

In three races at the WMA Championships, Whitlock has shattered two world records and run the second-fastest time in another. He won the 10,000 meters by more than four minutes in 42:39.95, more than two minutes below the old mark. His winning 21:32.87 in last week’s 5,000 meters is second on the M80 list behind his unratified mark of 21:15.

In Friday’s 1,500 final, Whitlock took the lead on the opening backstretch and expanded it throughout the race. The native Englishman who moved to Canada nearly 60 years ago was hoping for a time around 5:45.

Marie Kay wins the long jump.


“I went off to fast and died a horrible death,” Whitlock said. “Thankfully, it wasn’t a marathon, where you really end up paying.”

In his 10,000 victory earlier in the week, Whitlock actually ran the second half of the race faster than his listed 5,000 record.
“I was very pleased with that race,” Whitlock said.

Whitlock would be a strong contender for top athlete at the WMA Championships if such an award were given out. His competition would include a couple of other 1,500-meter champions from Friday’s races at Sac State – Ron Robertson of New Zealand and Keith Batemen of Australia.

Robertson, who earlier in the meet broke Whitlock’s M70 record for the 5,000 by clocking 18:15:53, added a second world record in the 1,500. Robertson ran the metric mile in 4:52.95. Robertson also won the M70 cross country title on July 7.

Bateman won the M55 1,500 in a sizzling 4:12.35, under the listed record of 4:12.5, set by Robertson back in 1997. Bateman also won the M55 cross country title and is entered in Sunday’s marathon.

The WMA Championships is a biennial track and field competition for athletes ages 35 and over. More than 4,800 athletes entered this year’s event in Sacramento, which began July 6 and concludes on Sunday, July 17.

For the WMA schedule and full results, visit www.wma2011.com.

So who’s YOUR pick for Athlete of the Meet so far?

Aaron Sampson reaches across the pit to thank an official after finishing the M45 long jump. More photos will be added to gallery when time avails.

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July 15, 2011

19 Responses

  1. Mellow Johnny - July 16, 2011

    Depends on what happens in the steeple tomorrow for Robertson. He throws down a WR and I would lean towards him being my pick. Hard to vote against Whitlock, though. Really tough call. Unreal performances all around.

  2. Mellow Johnny - July 16, 2011

    Depends on Robertson’s performance in the steeple. Another WR I would give it to him. Otherwise, my vote would lean towards Whitlock. Unbelievable meets from both of them.

  3. BK Tony - July 16, 2011

    What I’ve noticed in this years World Championships in Sacramento was no presents from these so called “Drug Testers”. I’ve seen some amazing performances to a point that I think if people pay fees for testing, test the top 3-4 or everybody. Were these guys and their amazing performances tested afterwards. No! What about the 400 40-45 guys who were top 3 tested? No! Obviously, this is all political BS! In Lahti, it was pretty obvious a certain 100-200 50 year old was called in to test right? Why? It seems he was singled out just because he keeps winning and there are some haters in the Masters World that saw to it he didn’t make this one in 2011. Obviously, the WMA pocketed thousands of dollars form athletes and I didn’t see anyone getting tested!! I say stop ripping athletes who work hard off by forcing us to pay fees for testing. Otherwise, make everyone test because there are people in this meet on PED’s and it’s obvious. So much hypocrisy..lol The article recently on Val Barnwell is pretty obvious. It seems you all are making out to be he is the only one. Yes, I said it!!! I was the watchdog and didn’t see anyone tested!! When he comes back,he’s still going to whip all your asses anyway. It’s ability not science that makes an athlete.

  4. Bob Cedrone - July 16, 2011

    With all due respect to the other competitors mentioned, for me there is only one athlete to choose as Athlete of the Meet…. USA’s John Goldhammer. 4 individual World Championships, 2 American records set. By the way, his Throws Pentathlon score broke the listed AR of 4267 by the legendary Jim Wetenhall by over 330 points, as well as Ray Burton’s as yet unratified score of 4356 from May of this year. Just one man’s opinion…

  5. Tim Edwards - July 16, 2011

    How about showing 35-39 mens thrower Mark Landa some love. 3 World Championships, a silver and a bronze after a very difficult couple of years with a hernia operation and weight loss.

  6. SRQ Masters Track - July 16, 2011

    Throwers never get any love.

  7. Emmanuel - July 16, 2011

    Australian W50 Lynette Ventris is the best . She walk faster than mens M50 on 10 and 20k.
    she beat world best on the 20k

  8. Jerry Bookin-Weiner - July 16, 2011

    Goldhammer is certainly a contender among the US throwers, but my personal choice would be Norwegian M60 thrower Arild Busterud — four golds out of four — hammer, weight, shot and throws pent all against very stiff competition.

  9. Kiwi - July 16, 2011

    Kay, Lewis, Robertson, Bateman, or Whitlock. World records trump national ones.

  10. Mary Woo - July 16, 2011

    Ken- I LOVE the picture that accompanies your post. Great job!

  11. marie kay - July 16, 2011

    Ken- thanks for considering me in the running, there have been so many awesome performances at these World Championships,too many to mention, i would hate to be the one to have to choose a winner. Being voted WMA Worlds best last year and experiencing Monte Carlo was an honour. I am sure they will get it right.

    Thanks for your support as always.

    Marie Kay

  12. Charlie Brocato - July 17, 2011

    My vote goes to M80 Hiroo Tanaka. Not sure why this guy hasn’t been given the press others have but this 80 year old handily beat the legendary Earl Fee winning gold in the 100 (14.7), 200 (30.78), and 400 (1:11.53). I belied the 200 time broke Payton Jordan’s M80 world record of 30.89.

  13. Kiwi - July 17, 2011

    SRQ how can you say that throwers get no love when Neni Lewis was the women’s USATF Masters Athlete of the Year last year??

    I didn’t know about Hiroo Tanaka. That was very impressive! It is amazing that an 80 year old can run that fast.

  14. bf - July 17, 2011

    Stat nitpick: aren’t Lad Pataki’s M50 & 55 WP scores still world records? Or weren’t they ratified?

  15. Jerry Bookin-Weiner - July 18, 2011

    Pataki’s M50 record was broken last year (if not before), and his M55 record was never ratified, something that infuriated him until the day he died. Seems that even though it was accomplished at the WMA Championships in Brisbane in 2001, the field was not in compliance and sloped downward in one or more of the events by too much. Amazing that such a field was allowed to be used at a World Championship.

  16. Mellow Johnny - July 18, 2011

    Robertson. 3 WRs. Game, set, match.

  17. Lisa Ryan - July 19, 2011

    To BK Tony – I was pulled and tested after my race in a very professional and serious protocol. It was being done, believe me!

  18. Don Young - July 20, 2011

    Aussie ace Keith Bateman broke the M55 WR in the 1500m yesterday, his third gold of the meet after also winning the 5000m and 8km XC, and his fifth WR in nine months (1500m, mile, 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m).

    “Only event-scheduling difficulties left him unable to contest the 10,000m (on the same day as his 1500m heat).

    Unless he changes his mind, Keith will contest the marathon on Sunday – his first for so many years that he was unable to nominate a PB for it when entering.”

    Gold medaled in marathon as well-11th overall, 2:43:07.

    Wow….Wow.

  19. alex safianuk - August 15, 2011

    Please, How can I find all the results of the Sacramento meet?

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