WMA explains Porto Alegre 2013 change of dates, in greater detail
Confirming my report of Sunday, World Masters Athletics has posted info on how Porto Alegre, Brazil, pushed back the dates of 2013 worlds by a couple months — to October 15-27. See statement here. The main points: “The change of dates had been requested by the LOC after an announcement that the Government had agreed to fund a complete renewal of the athletics and community facility known as CETE. Government officials met with WMA President Perkins and Secretary Winston Thomas in November to detail their plans and at that time confirmed that the full cost of the project had been approved so that work could proceed.” So how does this change affect y’all? Mess up vacation plans?
Half of finishers at Olympic Trials in 50K walk were masters age
With 39-year-old Tim Seaman taking second, five of the 10 finishers at Sunday’s Olympic Trials for the 50-kilometer race walk team were over 35. But since winner John Nunn, 33, made only the “B” standard for the London Games, he’s the whole team. I covered the race in Santee, California (10 minutes from my home) for sister Patch sites. Check out my photos and videos. (And you’ll be helping my traffic, too. Good for job security.)
M45 Allen James took seventh in the U.S. Olympic Trials with a time of 4:39:24.
Hartshorne Diary: Peter Taylor regains his focus after car scare
Peter Taylor
Nolan Shaheed chops 6 seconds off own world indoor mile record
Nolan Shaheed
Nolan is shown finishing in WR time at Saturday's Hartshorne mile at Cornell.
Porto Alegre changes dates for 2013 WMA world championships
After weeks of “sensitive negotiations,” organizers of the 2013 world masters outdoor championships in Porto Alegre, Brazil, have settled on new dates for the meet. Originally, the meet was set for July 24 to August 4. The new dates are October 15-27, I’m told. A source inside World Masters Athletics writes: “Finally we have a resolution in the track upgrading. The government is totally renewing a facility (known as CETE) and this work has now commenced and is due to be completed in June 2013. Apart from the track, there is a sports academy being built at the venue that will provide great future facilities for the city and very good facilities for the WMA Championships. There is still no final decision in doing up a further venue with a new track but that is expected to be known no later than February.” This also avoids a head-to-head fight with the World Masters Games in Turin, Italy, set for August 2013. Here’s an old promo for Porto Alegre:
Isett soars again at Pole Vault Summit in Reno, but no record
PV goddess Becca Gillespy Peter is live-blogging the Pole Vault Summit in Reno, and reports that Don Isett went 3.25 Saturday. That’s short of the WR he set recently. Masters results will be here eventually. Becca tweets: “72-year-old Don Isett of Dallas, Texas jumped 3.25m today which betters the M70 world record. He also jumped 3.35m two weeks ago.” Sorry you didn’t go higher, Don. But you’re still amazing.
Here's Don at the Pole Vault Summit, photographed by Becca Gillespy Peter.
Records by the dozen: Weia Reinboud notches her latest HJ mark
W60 Weia Reinboud of Holland, the high jump specialist and world stat expert, may have set a record for records in the event: She wrote Friday: “Tonight in my hometown Utrecht I have improved my own indoor record of last year. This 1.43 [4-8 1/4] makes a dozen world records. It was a mixed meet and the prescribed starting height was 1.38 [4-6 1/4]. After clearing that in my first attempt, the record height of 1.43 took two attempts. [Her listed indoor WR was 1.41] In fact it was not a really good jump, technically, but a record is a record. The next height of 1.48 [4-10 1/4] was clearly too high.” See results here. She adds: “Jan Huijbers [set a] national record M60 of 1.58 [5-2 1/4], first meet after a long injury, he is absolutely able for bigger heights.” Age-Graded, Weia’s 1.43 at age 61 is worth an open mark of 2.08 [6-9 3/4]. Jan’s 1.58 is worth 2.17 [7-1 1/2] Great efforts, Weia and Jan!
An oldie but a goodie image of Weia originally posted in 2010.
Hartshorne races include women’s elite battle: Sonja vs. Alisa
Saturday brings the always dramatic series of indoor miles known as the Hartshorne Memorial in upstate New York. See a list of the top entries here. One that caught my eye: Alisa Harvey at age 46 taking on Sonja Friend-Uhl at age 40 (who has signaled her interest in Alisa’s age-group world record). This women’s elite race could be a barn burner. M40 Charlie Kern appears to be the favorite in the men’s elite race. And two Nolans might shock as well: Harold Nolan and Nolan Shaheed. Good luck to all, and look for a full report by meet announcer Pete Taylor. Here’s a taste from 2010:
Hal Higdon lets it all hang out in long interview with Bob Anderson
Hal Higdon, a masters running pioneer and world champion, is a prolific writer at age 80. He recently gave what may be his definitive interview with Bob Anderson, founder of Distance Running News, which became Runner’s World. Check out the interview. Hal properly gives credit to David Pain for starting the show: “An unsung hero was David H. R. Pain, who started a track & field meet for runners over 40 in San Diego in 1966.” Hal also says, in response to the question Do you feel old?: “I would be kidding you if I said I bounced out of bed each morning feeling as frisky as I did when I was in my 20s. But I move a lot better than most my age. Often when people learn my age, they are surprised, thinking me much younger.” That’s the best! Stay young, Hal.
Hal Higdon with his wife, Rose, and daughter Laura Sandall.
Charter buses possible from Helsinki airport to indoor worlds site
Marilyn Mitchell, the longtime masters official from New York, writes: “The travel organization for the WMA Jyvaskala organizers has just told me that they will be organizing two charter buses (morning and evening)В from the Helsinki Airport to Jyvaskala, if she has at least 30 people for each bus.В They have not yet determined the dates nor the times of the bus from the airport. It depends upon when the athletes will be arriving. The cost would be 46 euros one-way, instead of the 52 euros which the normally-scheduled bus will charge. If you think you will be interested in the chartered bus, please let me know and send me your arrival date and arrival time and I will forward it to the organizers.” This is indoor worlds, of course. For info, write Marilyn at mmitchell46@hotmail.com
