Running at the Armory track in Manhattan on Monday night, W70 Marie-Louise Michelsohn shattered the American record in the indoor 1500 meters. Her time at the Open and Masters Holiday Classic was 6:14.56, which lowers the listed AR of 6:43.30 by Jeanne Daprano at 2008 indoor worlds in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The meet was USATIF-sanctioned, she confirmed. “I was pretty nervous about the meet,” she says. “I came down with a cold Friday night. It fortunately was a short one but Sunday night, the night before the race I was up all night coughing. Felt much better on Monday but I am usually weakened after a virus — my mother always said you are for the same length of time as the virus lasts.” With luck, she says, she’ll the world record of 6:10.65.” On the Age-Graded Tables, MLM’s 6:14.56 is equivalent to an open mark of 3:54.7. Incredible. Nice race, Marie-Louise!

A shocker: Lee Evans has a brain tumor and lacks the money to treat it. So says an incredibly sad account in The Nation by Dave Zirin. If you don’t know who Lee Evans is, lissen up, children. He was the God of the 400 in the late 1960s, the WR man who was first to go sub-44. Dave writes: “The basic conditions of Lee Evans’s room has improved in the last twelve hours. But the fact that his care is even a question constitutes a national disgrace.” The hat is being passed: “An account and donation page are being set up for Lee. … checks can be sent to Rosemary Evans; 46096 Valeria Ave; Dos Palos 93620. If you can give, please do so right away.” By rights, Lee should be the M40 WR man at 47.5. He wrote me in June 2006: “Thank you for your kind words. I’m considering running again. It is painful as I have arthritis in both knees (not from running, but a fall).” Losing such a legend is unthinkable.

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Writing on a University of Pennsylvania alumni blog, Nicole C. Maloy says: “When I joined Penn Women’s Varsity Track & Field in the fall of my Freshman year, Co-Captain Ruth Greenfield was a positive voice in my ear, and a stellar example of what any collegiate scholar-athlete would want to be both on and off the field. Well, ladies and gentlemen, she’s still got it.” Of course, we know that. But isn’t it great to see how Ruth can be role model all these years later? Check out the great Q&A with W40 jumper Ruth, who now goes by Greenfield-Webster. Nicole adds: “I became more and more intrigued by this phenomenon and Ruth’s involvement in it first because, let’s face it, it’s pretty awesome. But second, because I qualify. Gulp. Might I find myself high jumping again one day?” You bet! And Happy Christmas and Merry Hanukkah to all in masterstrackland!

This is rare. W60 distance star Kathy Martin has been named USATF Athlete of the Week — for the second time in three months. This just adds to her legend. And not a second too soon. I spoke at length recently to a New York Times sportswriter who is preparing a story about Kathy. I’m not sure when it will run, but the writer (a Pulitzer winner when he was at the Los Angeles Times) will have plenty to chew over. USATF reported: “Kathryn Martin (Northpoint, N.Y.) has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after setting an age-group American record for 15 km in 1:01:23 at the Ted Corbitt 15 km in Central Park on Dec. 17. At 60, Martin finished as the 14th woman overall and first in her age group. Martin improved the previously listed 60-64 record set by Shirley Matson in 2003 by nearly three minutes. Martin’s time is also a world best for women age 60 and over.” Way to go, Kathy!

When I informed Douglas Kalembo that his M50 WR in the 400 was rejected by the USATF Records Committee (on the say-so of masters records chair Sandy Pashkin), he didn’t give up. Doug contacted Sandy. And today he wrote me: “I did talk to Sandy on phone and she was very helpful. She requested for me to send all the evidence I can find [proving age], which I did. I send her my primary school, high school, military records and the letter from Henry the guy who started everything, PLUS newspaper [clips] bearing my picture and my age from Zambia newspaper. All she [is awaiting] is the meet directors to sign on the application forms. They are two world records — one for age group 45 to 49 /49.77 and 50 to 55/49.85.” Doug also informs us that his nickname in his native Zambia was Trackmaster. Someone was prescient.

Over the weekend, M50 sprint god Willie Gault was pleased to get back his stolen Super Bowl ring. Today, I don’t want to guess his reaction to other news. Headline in Washington Post: “Former NFL star Willie Gault charged with fraud.” Bloomberg’s headline: “Ex-NFL Star Willie Gault Sued by SEC in Stock-Pumping Fraud.” Details are complicated, but it looks bad. Hope Willie can outrun these accusations.

Hi, all. My awesome wife, Chris, turns 57 on Tuesday, Dec. 20. Please join me in wishing her a great birthday, since she deserves the best of everything! This year was special for her trackwise — she competed at Sacramento worlds and won the Renegade Award from her club, the Southern California Striders. (I won the award in 2009, so we now display his-and-hers Renegade plaques and framed photo collages.) Feel free to write her privately as well — ESLChris@aol.com.

A friend sent me a link to a New York Times opinion column about the Barry Bonds case and what it says about doping in society. My friend wrote: “If we thought drugs were a problem in our sport up to now, this article scares the heck out of me. Are those of us who are “clean athletes” on the verge of being overtaken by artificially-enhanced competitors?” Actually, this train left the station years ago, as noted in the 2008 documentary “Bigger, Stronger, Faster.” So what’s the real issue here? Is it time to throw in the towel? Or can we accommodate this new reality?

Forget Bloomington and masters indoor nationals. If you compete at indoor worlds in April 2012, you get to see the magical green sunsets of Jyväskylä! That’s in Finland. The website logo is a clever branding. Who can resist the azure night sky? Anyhoo, if you have the dough, you can take a trip to northern Europe three weeks after nationals. BTW, WMA says: “Remember to register before 12th February 2012.”

At some point, Linda Somers-Smith will race folks her own age on the track. But for now she’s happy to kick kiddy butt on the trails. USATF announced today: “Linda Somers-Smith (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after finishing 8th in the open women’s race at the USATF National Club Cross Championships in Seattle on Dec. 10. Somers-Smith of the Asics Aggie Running Club was the oldest competitor in the open race at age 50; however, she found that to be no obstacle in beating athletes as young as 18 years old. Had Somers-Smith raced in the masters division, she would have out paced the leader by nearly two minutes.” Nice race, Linda! Come visit masters track!

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