Results being posted for WMA regional championships
The WMA regional championships got under way today in Clermont, Florida, site of the 2009 masters nationals, and results for Day 1 have been posted. (Click here for the results PDF.) Officials aren’t cutting entrants any slack, however. Among the DQs in the 5K racewalk was 91-year-old Maria Ramirez of Mexico. And one of my masters moles reports: “42-inch lanes and folks were still getting DQ’d for cutting the corners.” But rigorous officiating is a plus. Shows that officials are doing their job.
My mole reports:
Word from the athletes: absolutely no shade, you have to pay 5 bucks to park and no dropoff area. (We’re walking from our hotel tomorrow), and the meet is being run to a T, following the schedule. Officials have been cordial and cooperative to all the athletes. . . . Oh yeah, the warmup area is a joke as if they cut the grass 6 inches high on purpose (chigger bites, mosquitoes etc). I may have to warm up on the street. . . .I cannot stand uneven surfaces and high grass plus throw in 85% humidity at 8 a.m. in Florida! Good-looking trainers helping out, the NTC is absolutely unbelievable.
Any other reports? Post ’em here.
Results being posted on funky Clermont-Ferrand Web site
Everyone reads French, right? No matter. You can figure out what the event is by context and performance. Here is the results entryway for the 3rd World Masters Indoor Athletics Championships in France. The first events have trickled in from yesterday, opening day in Clermont-Ferrand. The site promises: “From Monday 17th of March, all results will be available during the whole week and updated several times every day.” Good to hear. Hope you see your Dad, Grandma or friend at the top of the lists! Here are results from Day 1. (At the bottom of this page, a dropdown menu gives you access to more results pages.) Note how Kathy Martin won the W55 8K cross country race — beating the W50 winner in the process!
12 Responses
Well, both good and bad news from the mole. I can’t wait to hear more from others (in addition to hearing more from the mole). If memory serves, this is the largest international MASTERS meet in North America since the World Masters Games (that’s the multi-sport event) were held in Eugene in 1998. Or have I forgotten something?
Please tell me more (especially since this is the site for our 2009 outdoor nationals).
HOT HOT HOT
Negatives: Absolutely no shade at all whatsoever! No concessions other than a portable fajita vendor..hot as Hades in the morning..grass is wet, mosquitos etc…Track fans have no place to spectate other than about 3 rows of seats on the backstretch of the track…it’s hard to hear the announcer in English or Spanish…heats in the 100m were heated directly behind the starting line distracting the athletes..
Positives: Track is fast, officials are efficient (after they filled the steeplechase pools by buckets of water), gonna be some good races tomorrow…M45 400 was awesome today! Amazing the pride some of the Central American athletes have. Flying their flags, singing and congratulating each athlete after their respected races…
Did I mention it was HOT!
I forgot to voice my opinion about the 2009 outdoor meet in Clermont…
if they don’t rent some shade tents for warm ups, provide shaded seating for spectators and add some concessions WE WILL hear countless complaints from athletes and their families…
if they don’t try to remedy some of these basic athlete needs some will be forced to skip the meet…
I haven’t sweat like this since Charlotte in 2006…and I grew up in Houston! It’s amazing what a little shade can do for a track meet.
Things to know about 2009 USATF Masters Nationals; not necessarily in order of importance.
1. The Airport is 34 miles from the track. There is no train or bus to take you there. You will need a rent car.
2. Hotels and restaurants are plentiful. However, they are separated not by blocks, but by miles. I repeat, you will need a rent car.
3. It’s as oppressively hot and humid for this WMA meet as it was in Charlotte in 2006. There are very small trees yielding shade of no value. There is limited seating, sort of little league bleacher style and limited in quantity. July in Florida next year will be a test of your heat endurance.
4. The track is good and seems fast enough.
5. Warmup areas need to be discussed with NTC/meet management because the setup for this WMA meet WILL bring plenty of complaints next year. It needs to be re-thought.
6. You can buy as many Mickey Mouse t-shirts as you need in seven lifetimes in Kissimmee. And a pink flamingo for the lawn.
7. Brush up on your Spanish, its prevalent.
8. Making athletes pay to park at the track seems downright inhospitable to me, but maybe that is a singular opinion.
Rick Riddle and others have summarized the meet well.
I am staying in Orlando. Its not a bad drive and I am still hoping to see Mickey before I leave. 🙂
My take on the meet:
* Officials are friendly and are doing a great job;
* Track is not spectator friendly with very little seating located on the opposite side of the finish line. Most have ignored their distant designated seats, electing to stand along the finish line fence;and
* My 800 was to go off at 8:30 this morning. It was about 45 minutes late with increased humidity.
However, there was a nice touch that should be mentioned. An additional tent was set up near the check-in tent with portable cooling units, allowing runners to cool-off prior to or right after a race. They will definitely need more of these cooling tents next year.
Moreover, I’m not sure why they wanted to charge five bucks for parking. It must have been to discourage people from parking close to the track. There certainly were not enough parking spots for it to be a profitable venture!
5 bucks for parking…and you still must walk a half mile to the track
No warm up area….and we weren’t allowed on the track until 15 minutes prior to the start of the pen
We were told NTC would supply implements for the pen…..we had 3 javs for a 16 man flight…we each had some short 10 meter tosses….and you were lucky to get a full run through or two prior to the start….what’s sad is that two runways were available…but not enough officials….same for the LJ and discus….we were allowed onto the track at 8:45am…..Can you imagine 16 guys trying to get steps in 15 minutes time?
4 runways were available…Our flights should have been split into two
We had about 6 discus available….we were told to take two at a time into the circle….we were lucky to get two attempt..again ..two cages were available
Positives….track is fast…and rental cars are equipped with a “toll pass”….otherwise…you;d have at least four toll stops coming and going
Thanks, Simpdog, Rick, Horace, and Frank. Looks like we have an excellent crew of reporters down there. I am learning a lot. Keep it up, and all other reporters are welcome. After all, this is an international meet, and our nationals (as everyone now knows) are in the same site. I am already starting to form a mental picture.
Pete check out our petition, a mental picture is as close as you want to get to this place.
Thanks for the petition Allan…
When I get back I’ll find a way to post my photos I’ve been compiling so we all have a visual on what is and isn’t going on in Clermont. I’ll link the petition to every person associated with Masters Track and Field and have them pass it on too.
Our hotel just posted a note saying the meet “may” start 30 minutes early Sunday morning….MAY? WOW
Allen, Simp and others…
We need to find answers to a couple of important questions:
1) Can “we” (Masters athletes) “legally” have the venue of a national Championship changed? At the very least, I presume we will have to vote on it at the Annual Meeting.
2) If we do succeed in having the national Championship removed from Clermont, who else can (and will) host the meet? Especially on the relatively short notice…
I think we need to contact Gary Snyder and/or Janet Smith and the rest of the Executive Committee
The North American Central Caribbean championship meet was a great opportunity for the best athletes in the US Masters Ranks to show their stuff. It was my pleasure to have been able to return to this level of competition after 7 years. During that period, I’ve photographed many moments In US track and field. Please view my album in the link below http://LLOYDJEREMIAH.dotphoto.com
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