The Central Park Track Club New Balance says team member Marie-Louise Michelsohn set W70 world records in the track 3000 and 5000 Monday — nine days after turning 70. “Running 5000 meters under windy conditions at Icahn Stadium … Michelsohn ran her first 3000 in 12:58 for her to shatter the previous world record (13:24) for that distance set by Elfriede Hodapp in 2006,” says coach Devon Joan Martin in a news release. “Michelsohn continued on to set another world record by running 21:59.90 for 5000 meters, breaking the previous world record (22:06) held by Cecilia Morrisson. Michelsohn currently holds 9 other World Records in various masters age groups.” I’m awaiting confirmation of a results website (which I can’t find) or a USATF sanction (ditto). But these marks are amazing. On the Age-Graded Tables, her 3K is worth an open time of 8:14.2. The 5K is equivalent to an age 20-30 time of 14:07. Nice work, Marie-Louise!

According to longtime track journalist Alan Abrahamson, in this story, Mark Siegel of Indy will shape up and shake up USATF’s marketing operations. One revelation: Jill Geer is moving from Boston to Indianapolis, ending her telecommute gig as PR chief. Here is the official USATF announcement. Here’s what Alan says: “Wait. What’s this? USA Track & Field, arguably the most dysfunctional of all major American Olympic sports federations, maybe getting something not just right but possibly taking an ambitious step to profoundly reshape the future direction of the sport in the United States and even worldwide? For real. In announcing Monday that it had retained Indianapolis-based Max Siegel Inc. as part of a wide-ranging plan to restructure its marketing and communications efforts, USATF boldly steps into the 21st century.” So what does this mean for masters? Who know? Maybe Max has a Midas touch, and some dimes trickle down to masters. I’ve written Max, so stay tuned.

Ed Whitlock had a nice run Sunday morning in Toronto — a 3:15:54 marathon at age 80, his latest WR. But he was overshadowed by a guy in another age group. M100 Fauja Singh finished 26.2 miles in something over 8 hours. His final time wasn’t officially recorded. So get ready for the final indignity — no world record recognition. But Singh’s last official split, at 35 kilometers, was 6:25:46. Here’s what one report said of Ed, meanwhile: “Much like he did with his age-class competitors, Ed Whitlock left his old world record in the proverbial dust this morning at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Decimating the 3:25.40 finish he delivered this past spring in Rotterdam, Milton’s ageless wonder set a new world marathon record in the 80-and-over division — completing the 42.2-km course in a cool 3:15:54.”

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Janet Carrier yesterday posted a revealing comment on an earlier entry about the National Senior Olympics. Here’s what she said: “I officiated the Senior games, this past June, at Turner Stadium in Humble, Texas. I have been trying to contact Lou Botello and can not seem to make contact with him. I have not been compensated and really need to speak with him. If you know how I can contact him or someone who can rectify the situation I would greatly appreciate it. I am sorry to use this as my communication method but this seems to be the only form of communication that I have found. I only get his voice mail and I have left many messages for him over the past weeks.”

Many Olympians will perform at the 2012 Millrose Games — the first outside of Madison Square Garden. But does the Armory track (the new venue) have to replicate Olympic prices as well? Admission charges for the indoor mainstay have been posted, and they’re not pretty. Except for $20 “student” seats at one end, the tickets go for $45 to $145. By comparison (see this chart), tickets for the first session of athletics at the London Olympics were sold for $31 to $236 (according to today’s pounds-to-dollars conversion). Last year, Millrose Games tickets went from $15 to $125. Are the best track-level seats at the Armory $20 better than the best seats at the Garden? I dunno. So what do y’all think about track pricing itself out of most people’s budgets? Will masters relayists get student seats or an upgrade? Tickets go on sale Monday.

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The Toronto Star is reporting that a turbaned phenom set or broke eight M100 world records in the course of 5,000-meter run. See story and video here. Story says: “Fauja Singh ran through eight track events in succession at Birchmount Stadium in Scarborough as part of a charity event, Sikhs in the City. Singh, who lives in England but hails from India, is in town to compete in Sunday’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon as he tries to set a Guinness World Record. Along the way, he decided to crush a few records.” OK, let’s take a breath. Before WMA will ratify any of these records, he’ll need to prove his age, and the meet needs to satisfy British or Canadian record authorities as well. Indian athletes have fudged age in the past.

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Jan Tenhaven sends wunderbar news from Berlin: His milestone masters track movie, with footage from Lahti worlds, airs Nov. 27 in America. But only if you get the Documentary Channel. Which I don’t. Drat. Jan, who directed “Autumn Gold,” says the cable channel “will air the shorter international version, which is slightly different from the 90-minute film. Instead of the German shot-putter Ilse, it features long-distance runner Nick Corish from Ireland. This 84-year old athlete is quite a wise and witty character and very worth meeting. Nick says: “Every single day if you don’t have an adventure, that is not a good day. But the only way you have an adventure is to keep your eyes open and your ears open and something will happen during that day which will have an influence on you and will change your day and maybe change your life.”

Most movies about masters track don’t include screenings preceded by live pole vaulting demonstrations by 89-year-olds. But that’s what Keith Ochwat is promising about the PBS documentary “Age of Champions.” The movie focuses on several athletes competing at the 2009 National Senior Games in Palo Alto, including a 100-year-old tennis phenom. Keith says: “The film has been screening at festivals around the world and was hailed by the Washington Post as ‘infectiously inspiring’ for our portrait of athletes that prove winning never gets old!” After an Oct. 22 screening at the Austin Film Festival, Adolph will take questions from the audience along with the film’s director, Keith says. Even though “Racing Against the Clock” and “Autumn Gold” cover similar ground, you can’t have too many movies about geezer sports. We’re relentless.

Recently, Track & Field News ran an eye-opening interview with USATF board member Steve Miller in which he said: “I feel that there are only two areas that need to be engaged first and foremost — the elite athlete and the pre-high school athlete. Period.” See it here. This makes masters track (among other elements) a big fat bull’s-eye target. But other countries have masters track federations unattached to their elite organizing bodies. Why not us? This would decouple us from the worst USATF excesses, but also force us to pay our own way on marketing, officiating, etc. But think what 100,000 dues-paying runners, jumpers and throwers over 35 could mean to a potential USA Masters Track Association. We’d have millions in the till rather than something under $100,000. Would an exodus be a good thing, as mentioned in 2006 by former Masters T&F Chairman George Mathews?

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National Masters News reports in an email blast that Bobby Whilden, 76, has again broken his American record in the 100-meter dash — his latest being a fantastic 13.55 Wednesday at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. “The wind was a legal 1.9 meters per second,” NMN says. “His time just missed the 13.54 world mark by Germany’s Bruno Kimmel in 2009.” I also got word that W60 Myrle Mensey upped two of her own American records in some weight throws. (I posted this video of the 12-pound throw, sent by Myrle, but got the place wrong.)

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