Mensah Elliott, who holds dual UK-Gambian citizenship, won a silver medal in the 60 hurdles at Finland worlds. And he’s returned a hero. Loved this in a local radio website account of Jyväskylä: “Mensah Elliott was the sole representative for The Gambia and had to make sure that he was noticed, flying the flag for The Gambia. He was amazed how many people have never heard of the country or where it is. Mensah made the finals for the 60m sprint and was immediately noticed.” How cool to be the lone national team member.

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Beth Galvin of the Fox TV affiliate in Atlanta did a nice report the other day on one of the nicest all-star couples in our sport: W75 Jeanne and M85 Bill Daprano. She’s been grabbing the headlines lately, so it was great for Bill to get some attention. Their story has been told before — of two widowed people who discovered each other and became an athletic success story. But I love reading new things, especially about their training regimen. It’s hard core. Also loved Jeanne’s sense of humor: “Jeanne’s got four world records, including being the first 70-year-old women to break seven minute mile. She thinks it’s a sign God likes a strong woman. ‘I just think He’s laughing and rejoicing and saying, “This is what my temple needs to be like,” Jeanne said.” Check out the video!

Don’t Google “Nolan Shaheed” and records. You’ll crash the Internet. His latest came today at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational, where he motored 5000 meters in 16:56.96. (See results here.) He came in 55th, according to aggregated results. Did anyone ahead of him have a clue that he is 62? Or that his time on the Age-Graded Tables is equivalent to an open mark of 13:24? He crushed the listed M60 American record of 17:19.0 by Clive Davies in 1980 — the oldest 5K age-group best on the books. The listed M60 world record is 16:12.57 by Adriaan Heijdens of Holland. (And even more ridiculous is the listed M65 WR of 16:38.8 by New Zealand’s Derek Turnbull.) But still, Nolan is such a phenom. Congrats to our skinny, trumpet-playing friend.

A subject of Racing Against the Clock reminds me that Patricia “Pat” Peterson, her colleague in cinema stardom, celebrates her birthday today, April 14. Pat’s age is top secret, but she was born in 1926, I’m told. So she’s four years away from aging up. But Pat doesn’t mind. She is our role model for embracing life — and masters track — amid all the challenges thrown at us. Hers includes crippling injuries and several bouts of cancer. Please join me in wishing her many more age groups to come.

Finland didn’t happen, I guess. USATF split the difference Wednesday when it named M40 newbie Kevin Castille its Athlete of the Week for his 10K American record. (I had my money on Phil Raschker). Still, Kevin is a worthy choice. And USATF quotes him as saying: “I didn’t have a great race, it was really crowded, but it wasn’t bad for not having done track races in the past two years. You forget how to race in an aggressive crowd. … I am 40, but I had a 10-year period where I didn’t run. It may have hurt me, but I think it helped me. I’m not a beat up 40-year-old.” Not indeed, Kevin. Have a great season.

Rob Jerome writes from Finland: “Most of the time I photograph masters folks at the ‘moment’ of performance (in the air, when the shot leaves their hands, etc.), but what I was attracted to most about Christa [Bortignon] was her concentration and quiet preparation …the moment BEFORE the moment, if you will. She has such a calm strength to her and that strength is most evident right before she takes off. I’ve attached photos of her right before the 400 meters and contemplating the bar in the HJ.” You nailed it, Rob. Christa is such a star.

Canada claimed 22 gold medals at indoor worlds, I’ve been reminded. And two women accounted for 19 of them! That would be our old pal Olga Kotelko and our new bud Christa Bortignon, who took seven golds and one silver in Finland. She also set two W75 world records: 10.04 in the 60 and 3.67 in the long jump, which was 14 years old. Olga came away with 12 golds in the W90 group and set records in the pentathlon, 400, 800 and high jump. With only 21 athletes entered, Canada took seventh in the medal standings. First was Finland, followed by Germany, UK, France, Russia and Team USA. Fifty nations medaled in Jyväskylä.

Phil Raschker has this habit. Every five years, she picks a world stage to crush the competition and pad her 500-page track resume. So it was at Jyväskylä worlds last week. How well did W65 Phenom Phil do? Not bad: six golds and three silvers, she reports. Oh, and five American records including one world record. Apparently, WMA messed up her medal count and USATF didn’t reflect it in its news roundup. For the record, Phil won world titles in the pentathlon, high jump, triple jump, 60 hurdles, 400 and pole vault (in that order). She won silvers in the 60, 200 and long jump.

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Norm Green, a world-class distance runner, stepped down as USATF Masters Hall of Fame czar last year amid health problems. His successor is another top-flight runner: Tom Bernhard, an M60 gent. National chair Gary Snyder’s column in the April issue of National Masters News mentions Phil Byrne as a possible Hall of Fame chair, but Tom confirmed his role today, writing me: “When you take over from a legend like Norm Green, who worked diligently for so many years to see that outstanding athletes and other contributors to Master Athletics got the recognition they so richly deserved, it is very humbling. My goal as his successor is to build upon his work and to make sure the Masters Hall of Fame Committee has all the tools and information necessary to nominate and induct the most worthy individuals into the Masters Hall of Fame.” 

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Tom Bernhard graciously writes: “A little before Kevin Castille’s great AR 10000m performance in Palo Alto, a little north on Hwy 101 in San Francisco, Brian Pilcher, 55, was taking down Rick Becker’s M55-59 5000m AR of 16:14.55. Brian ran 16:05.12 in Section 1 of the Men’s 5000m at the SF State Distance Carnival. Last Sunday in Sacramento, Brian just missed Jim O’Neill’s M55-59 10-mile AR (54:25) by running 54:42 at the Credit Union SacTown Ten Mile Race. Something to be said about striking while the iron is hot.” Indeed! And thanks for the great news, Tom. We also learn from Mike Tymn in Running Times: “Pilcher got back into running in 2006 when his son, Nathaniel, turned out for high school cross country. ‘I went out to run a mile with him and was afraid my knees would explode,’ the retired financier explains. ‘We ended up running 6:40, although I think I might have been able to run 10 to 15 seconds faster.’ Curious to see how much faster he could go, Pilcher entered a local 5K race the following month and did an 18:38 for second place in his division.” Nice progress.