Nolan Shaheed nails M60 American mile record at Portland

Nolan finishes AR.

Going into Saturday’s mile at the Portland Track Festival in Oregon, Nolan Shaheed at 62 had twice bettered the listed American M60 mile record of 4:58.2. But they didn’t count. Portland will, however. Nolan took last in a field of 16, but clocked 4:53.01 to add the outdoor record to his indoor one. (The listed WR is 4:51.85 by Tony McManus of New Zealand, a recent result.) Six days after winning the downhill State Street Mile in Santa Barbara in 4:12, Tim Gore, 42, added the masters mile title at Portland in 4:19.81. The masters women’s 3000 race went to W40 Kris Paaso in a meet record 9:42.60. The listed American record remains 9:27.45 by Carmen Troncoso. Tony Young didn’t run the men’s mile, however, missing a chance at lowering the M50 record. All the great photos here are by Diana Hernandez.

Start of 2012 masters mile at Portland Track Festival, with Nolan on inside.


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June 10, 2012  7 Comments

Ironman Jim Selby recovering at home from heart-valve surgery

Jim Selby never made it to the Masters Hall of Fame, but if there was one for Ironmen Masters Tracksters, he’d be in the debut class. His meet exploits are legend — entering pretty much every race from the sprints to the distances, all while holding or pocketing a Virgin Mary plastic statue. (He once forgot to take his ankle weights off and raced a quarter-mile with them on.) But in recent years, he’s been carrying a heavier burden — battling a variety of ailments, including vision problems. His latest issue has been heart-valve work. Now he’s out of that dang hospital and looking forward to recovery. But he’d also look forward to hearing from his friends. His daughter Debbie, who also competes and lives with him on a hilltop near Camp Pendleton, has overcome breast cancer herself. They could both use some cheering. See note below.

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June 9, 2012  7 Comments

Wait till next year! Stones to skip Lisle nationals in August, sorry.

Yes, I can run with both feet off ground.

Chris and I won’t be able to attend Lisle masters nationals in August, so M55 and W55 sprinters and throwers can breathe a little easier. Reason: Finances. Long story, but I’m not making as much as I used to in the days of 30 percent newspaper margins. However, the Stones will be saving their shekels for 2013, when the meet moves to Olathe, Kansas—not far from my alma mater in Lawrence. My apologies to everyone I’ve promised to meet and have dinner with at nationals. On the bright side, our absence in Illinois means we can attend the 90th birthday party of David Pain, founder of masters track. His event is that weekend.

June 6, 2012  15 Comments

Pete Magill snares M50 AR for 5000; Daprano sets W75 mile WR

Pete in 2008 race.

Pete Magill has struck record gold again. A month after running 5000 meters in 15:11.13 at Occidental College, he took another 12 1/2 turns of the track Saturday in 15:06.83, according to results of the Jim Bush Classic at UCLA. (See results here.) So this means the M50 American record has been lowered at least four times this season by three men. And Pete’s only one of three record-setters over the weekend. Roald Bradstock, also M50, added an expected WR in the javelin, throwing 76.15 meters (249-10) with the 700-gram stick. Here’s a video of the heave. And I’ve been informed that Jeanne Daprano set a W75 mile WR in the south. Results from South Carolina show she ran a mile in 7:13.32, crushing the listed WR of 7:47.4 by Canada’s Helly Visser in 2011.

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June 3, 2012  16 Comments

Tony Whiteman is the masters Bannister: goes sub-4 outdoors!

Tony Whiteman and Roger Bannister

Fifty-eight years after Roger Bannister ran the first sub-4 mile, fellow Briton Tony Whiteman became the first over-40 runner to run four laps under 4 minutes outdoors, according to early reports from Saturday’s Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s reported to have run 3:58.79. Results are expected to be posted on this meet website. The listed M40 world outdoor record is 4:01.62 by Russia’s Vyacheslav Shabunin in 2010. Of course, the first sub-4 by an M40 was Eamonn Coghlan’s legendary 3:58.13 indoors in 1994 — aided by bouncy boards and slingshot turns. On the Age-Graded Tables, Tony’s 3:58.79 is equivalent to an open mark of 3:45.7. The real WR is 3:43.13. Bravo, Tony!

June 2, 2012  15 Comments

Sub-4 mile outdoors at 40 could happen Saturday in Nashville

Bragging rights go to the first person to post results from the June 2 Nashville Distance Carnival. Specifically: How did Britain’s Tony Whiteman do in the mile? I’ll be at Pasadena running sprints at Caltech (probably at the same pace Tony is running four laps). So if you happen to see Tony’s time, post it here. Athletics Weekly previewed the race. Tony told AW he talked to the current M40 outdoor mile record holder: “He spoke to [Dave] Moorcroft, the former world 5000m record-holder who had a serious tilt at the ‘sub-four at 40’ goal with 4:02.53 in 1993. “I had a long chat with him on the phone,” says Whiteman. “I tracked him down and, being a magpie, I quizzed him on what he did.” Tony also wants to race the kiddies at the British Olympic Trials: “Whatever happens this summer, I’d love to get to the final of the Olympic Trials just to annoy them. It’s like the old film Top Gun where you have Viper who’s trying to take down Maverick and the others.” You tell ’em, Tony! Go get the WR.

Tony has a great shot at being the first M40 to go sub-4 outdoors.

June 1, 2012  4 Comments

Flying at M50: Jason Purcell trains for nationals in neighborhood

Click on Jason.

Jason Purcell, a 54-year-old sprinter, shares this delightful shot of him during a training run at a high school north of Chicago. It’s still cold, but he’s hot. “I thought that you and other masters runners may be able to relate this,” he writes. “For me this picture says it all. It perfectly illustrates how feel when I run fast (fast for me!). The photo is by Ilene DeYoe. If I gave it a caption, it would read, ‘SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I’M FLYING!'” Indeed, and anyone who looks this good has to feel good. See you at Lisle, Jason.

May 31, 2012  9 Comments

Joanna Harper helps SI understand, value transgender athletes

Joanna Harper

W55 Joanna Harper, whose special status is well-known among her running peers, writes on Carmel Barnum’s site about helping a Sports Illustrated writer do justice to other transgender athletes — men who become women and vice versa. (See it here.) Joanna isn’t the first transgender athlete in masters track. I met a woman (formerly a man) at Maine nationals in the late 1990s. She ran the 200 against my wife and told me her story over an hour in a remote section of the bleachers. Masters track is friendly to trans because we all are trans — people doing what their heart says is right against all societal traditions. Joanna’s just another lady runner to me. That’s how it should be.

May 29, 2012  35 Comments

W70 Marie-Louise Michelsohn cracks barrier for 10K WR

Marie-Louise at 2008 Spokane nationals.

Blaine Lawson graciously reports: “Marie-Louise Michelsohn has just shattered the world outdoor record for the 10K (W70) by 31 seconds. On a cold and foggy morning at the College of San Mateo, Michelsohn maintained a relentless pace to finish with a 46:38.50 in the USATF Pacific Association Outdoor Masters and Open Championships. The former world record was 47:09.94 set by Ritta Rasimus on July 31, 2011. (The former American record of 48:11.29, set in on June 22nd, 2003, belonged to June Machala.) Needless to say, she is elated and exhausted. It represents a huge shift in gears from her last record attempt, the indoor 400m where she set the American record at 80.16 (at the Armory back in March).” Results are now posted here. Average mile pace: 7:30.4. Incredible.

May 27, 2012  5 Comments

Dragutin Topic ups M40 WR to Valery Brumel in Russian’s prime!

This can’t be happening. A 41-year-old man has jumped as high as the 1960s world record of Valery Brumel — 2.28 meters or 7-5 3/4. But Dragutin Topic has been smashing barriers for years. Why should he stop? His latest jaw-dropper came May 20 at a meet in Beograd, Serbia, according to the IAAF season list. He thus raises his own listed WR of 2.24 (7-4 1/4) from 2011. On the Age-Graded Tables, Dragutin’s leap is worth an open mark of 2.55 meters (8-4 1/4). He may jump at London, having reached the Olympic B standard. I have nothing more to say about this. It is beyond comprehension. Thanks to Jim Barrineau, a former M40 WR man, for bringing this to our attention.

Dragutin is making the masters high jump record ridiculous beyond belief.

May 27, 2012  9 Comments