Robbins takes care of business: M65 records in 100, 200

World masters champion Steve Robbins, a famed author of management textbooks, added to his sprints legend yesterday at Cerritos College in Norwalk, California. Competing at the Southern California Striders Meet of Champions, Steve tied the listed M65 American record for 100 meters and came back to obliterate the listed M65 world record for 200. His 100, with legal wind, was 12.53, equaling Paul Edens’ USATF mark from 2006. With an aiding wind of 1.2 meters per second (under the allowable 2.0 mps), Steve clocked 25.20 in the 2, beating the listed WR of 25.46 by Germany’s Guido Mueller in 2004. (The listed AR is 25.76 by Paul Johnson in 2001.)

Two other records were set as well, although details have yet to be confirmed. Gunnar Linde collected signatures for an M80 record in the 3,000, and fellow M80 Arnie Gaynor, a Striders club member, reportedly set a shot put record.
Striders officer and fellow M65 sprinter Doug Smith wrote:

I witnessed one of the most spectacular 200s I have ever seen in a masters T&F meet . . . . Prior to the 100m dashes, I talked with Steve Robbins, whom I have not seen since the nationals in Decatur, IL, and he informed me that he has been having some superb training sessions, and suspected he might run very fast on Cerritos’ Mondo track surface. Did he ever!
He recorded a wind legal 12.53 in the M65, which tied Paul Edens’ AR, and is only .03 off the WR. He was not pleased with his start, but his acceleration 10m from the blocks was absolutely amazing.
In the 200, he blitzed the curve, and just kept on increasing his lead over the rest of the field, and at the 150m mark he must have been 25m ahead of second place, as he went on to finish in a WR 25.20. . . . His acceleration between the 50m mark and the 150m mark was awesome. . . . I hand carried the record application paperwork for both of his races to all of the officials for their signatures, etc.

Also, Andy Hecker and Steve Kloch report that Oxnard College, an hour north of Los Angeles, will hold a masters meet Saturday, May 31, with a few nonstandard events, including the standing high jump, softball throw and 50-meter dash. Here is a PDF of the entry form.

Here’s Steve’s FAT photo from the 200 WR. Runner-up was Tony Craddock, and third was Lee Gillespie.