Julie Hayden graciously reports on her team’s WR 4X4 relay team at Millrose Games over the weekend: “Just back home from Millrose. To answer some of your questions regarding the 4×4’s yesterday. (Splits are approximate and what I was given by timing crew.) Athena W40A Jane Brooker (67.3),Terri Rath (67.5), Maryline Roux (66.8) and Charmaine Roberts (61.4) did finish second (4:23.27) to Central Park A (4:18.76). Jane is returning from Achilles surgery, and it was exciting to have her back. Athena W50 Debra Hoffman (Deutsch) (63), Lorraine Jasper (67), Julie Hayden (67), Cheryl Bellaire (69) 4:27.73. With Kathleen Shook unavailable, Debra Hoffman agreed to fly in from CA and ran superbly. The record attempt was planned and we were aware of what we needed to do to break it.”
From left are Deborah Barchat, Judith Tripp, Mary Rosado and Sylvie Kimche.
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February 13, 2012
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Christel Donley reports from Colorado and the USATF Mid America Masters Indoor Championships at the Air Force Academy: “Liz Palmer, CA, flew into snow and ice, say Colorado Springs, and ran a 9.32 second 60-meter hurdles American record in the 50-54 age group. (Another highlight was) Bill Harvey (65-69 age group) from Nevada — the former Occidental College head coach had a shot put of 12.46 meters. He became the shot put world champion in Sacramento last year, since the initial winner was drug tested positive.” Liz today beat the listed AR of 9.38 by Phil Raschker way back in 1997, so this is a momentous mark. The listed WR is close: 9.26 by Switzerland’s Christine Müller. Great job, Liz! Go get Christine.
Dave Albo captured Liz during her American record race in Colorado Springs.
February 12, 2012
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Bernard Lagat
A W50 Athena quartet beat the listed WR for the indoor 4Ă—4 and a W60 Central Park Track Club team apparently claimed an American club record tonight in New York City as the Millrose Games debuted in the Armory instead of the traditional Madison Square Garden.
See results here (and below). The Athenas clocked 4:27.73 to smash the listed WR of 4:43.27 by an American team in 2004. Congrats to
Debra Hoffman, Lorraine Jasper, Julie Hayden and
Dr. Cheryl Bellaire! No names were attached to the CPTC results, but their time of 6:06.00 is better than the listed club record of 6:28.80 by Liberty AC’s 2006 team of
Mary Harada, Carrie Parsi, Regina Wright and
Molly Johnson. Anyone have their names? Nice runs, ladies! In other Twitter news, M35
Bernard Lagat broke the American indoor record in the 5000 by 4 seconds, clocking 13:07.15. (There is no M35 age-group record in the 5K. Just the 3K, which Bernard holds.)
On Facebook, Athena TC posted image of its W50 world record claimants.
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February 11, 2012
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Marie-Louise ran an AR 1500 in December.
Results from the Manhattan Armory’s latest Thursday Night at the Races aren’t online yet (that I can tell), but word arrives about yet another record for newby W70
Marie-Louise Michelsohn. She says she clocked a 6:45.8 mile. That crushes the listed indoor world record of 7:04.15 by Georgia legend
Jeanne Daprano in 2007. Beating the old mark by nearly 20 seconds is amazing enough. But she also bettered the listed outdoor world age-group record of 6:47.91, also by Jeanne. On the Age-Graded Tables, her performance is equivalent to an open (ages 20-30) mark of 4:14.7, where the real indoor world record is 4:17.14 by
Doina Melinte. Tonight, M35
Bernard Lagat will shoot for an indoor record in the 5K at the Millrose Games — at the same track. Masters relays also are planned. Shoot us your shots and stories.
February 11, 2012
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Marilyn Mitchell, USATF wonk
writes (and shouts): “PLEASE TELL ATHLETES TO REGISTER TODAY, IF THEY ARE GOING TO COMPETE IN JYVASKALA. ALTHOUGH THE DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 12, MANY ATHLETES IN OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL AS IN THE U.S. ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE REGISTRATION PROCEDURE, AND THERE MAY BE A DELAY OF ONE OR TWO DAYS BEFORE YOUR REGISTRATION IS COMPLETE. The organizers have sent a recent message saying that the February 12 deadline is firm. One problem: the Fraud Unit of one of my credit cards called and said that because the Card Holder is in Country A (in your case, the USA), the recipient of the payment is in Country B (Finland) and the card processor is in Country C (probably Italy), the card companies’ computers are flagging and stopping the payment process, because this is the typical scenario for certain types of credit card fraud.”
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February 8, 2012
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Pete Magill is red.
, the best writer/runner combo in masters track, attacks a delicate question in his
latest column for Running Times: “Is it ethical to give someone something they’re not making [in their own body]?” says
Dr. Jeffrey Brown, a nationally renowned endocrinologist who has treated 15 Olympic gold medalists and consults for Nike and USATF, summing up the masters dilemma. “What’s legal and fair, and what’s needed for quality of life [versus] sustaining life are all different issues. There can never be an even playing field [with PEDs and TUEs]. Can masters athletes accept that?” Pete asks: “Well, can we?” Your turn to answer.
February 8, 2012
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Eddy Hellebuyck
who
admitted EPO doping as a masters marathoner after he got the boot, made a valiant attempt to avoid further sanctions when USADA went after him again. Instead, he muddied his name further, and his results from October 2001 to January 2004 have been wiped from the books.
Lance Armstrong dodged a bullet about the same time, avoiding federal charges, but Eddy had no such luck. See the
33-page ruling by the American Arbitration Association. The verdict was published Jan. 30, but major media haven’t noticed yet. But this is a milestone decision, which basically says: We’ll get you eventually — even years after the fact. This also is a victory for hard-nosed journalism, since Runner’s World writer
John Brant got Eddy to fess up, which led to his latest penalties. Nice work, John. You make journos proud.
February 7, 2012
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Charlie Ruter
The Internets
bring us sad news: The passing of
Charlie Ruter, a Kentucky coaching and track officiating legend. “The longtime Fern Creek resident spent more than 60 years officiating track and field, as well as recruiting and training officials, at every level from high school to the Olympics, including working the Los Angeles and Atlanta Games. He helped the Amateur Athletic Union convert to USA Track & Field, serving as a vice president of the sport’s American governing body for 20 years and spending 35 years as its official-certification chair. USATF established the annual Charles Ruter Award in 1998 to recognize an outstanding running-event official.”
See more from his alma mater. Our condolences to his family and friends.
February 6, 2012
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Ralph aims to raise bar on relays.
our M90 multi-event superstar and WR man, is hoping to raise the roof at
Bloomington indoor nationals in mid-March. He’s organizing a relay team to set the oldest relay record on the books. (Distance hasn’t been selected.) No M90 (or older) relay best exists on the WMA books. The oldest is M80-89. Ralph has commitments for three legs, writing: “So far the relay team will consist of the swiftest M90 sprinter
John Means, probably
Orville Rogers and me.” Ralph sent me a list of potential relayists:
Dan Bulkley, John Anoka, William Benson, Bob Matteson, John Boots.” To that I’d add M95
Leland McPhie. Any M100s out there willing to drop down an age group? If you have some leads on these or any other 90-plus gents, shoot me a note (which I’ll forward to Ralph) or post a comment here. Go get that record!
February 5, 2012
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When does masters track get mentioned in a Super Bowl story? When a former New York Giants star is quoted about the big game. So it is for our San Diego friend Phil McConkey, best known for his part in Super Bowl XXI. We learn from the New York Daily News: “These days, McConkey, 54, owns several businesses in the San Diego area but he isn’t done competing. He runs the 100 and 200 meter sprints in Masters Track events. In fact, he’ll be in Indiana in a couple of weeks for the national indoor meet.” He told the Daily News: “I’m still working hard. Every day, I have to prove something, still. You’d think I’d mellow out… But I can’t.”
Phil (at left) is a regular at the San Diego Senior Olympics (shown in 2010).
February 5, 2012
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