Sacramento masters nationals drawing more than 1,400 entrants

Amid all my hoohah about heat, I’d be remiss in not mentioning the expected turnout at Sacramento masters nationals late next week. According to the Sacramento Business Journal, some 1,415 athletes are entered. The official USATF news release says more than 1,400 are entered. This is one of the biggest turnouts at outdoor nationals in history. California is a hotbed of masters track, of course, but the proximity of national parks and San Francisco didn’t hurt. Bob Weiner’s press blast also highlights the top names entered, along with attention given to the oldest entrant — 96-year-old Leland McPhie of San Diego, who hasn’t posted an outdoor mark this year (that I can tell). Here’s more info from the Sacto organizers.

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July 14, 2010

30 Responses

  1. peter taylor - July 14, 2010

    This will be 1 of the 4 largest turnouts in masters history. I must admit that I have heard several different figures for Sacramento that range from 1400 to 1470. The 2 other meets that had more than 1400 but fewer than 1500 were the following:

    San Diego 1989
    Eugene 1994

    The 1 meet with more than 1500 (reported by NMN as 1503) was the following:

    Eugene 2000

    Perhaps someone majoring in sports management can do a paper on why the 45 American states that do not border the Pacific Ocean (I count Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California as bordering the Pacific) have NEVER had a nationals that broke 1400. I will contribute 15 cents to that student’s expenses.

    Note: I see above under “related posts” something about Charlotte with 1,400 entrants. Charlotte had 1367 per NMN.

  2. Mellow Johnny - July 14, 2010

    Hey PT- I see that before 1988, Masters Nats was a 3-day meet. Looks like the last one was Aug 14-16, 1987 in Eugene.

    Also, Greshman, OR hosted several Outdoor Nats in there as well. I’m assuming those were at Mt. Hood CC?

  3. peter taylor - July 14, 2010

    Good research, Mellow Johnny. Not surprising that it used to be 3 days. As you no doubt know, the turnouts in the old days were quite pitiful (here I am speculating, but I certainly think that turnouts as low as 650 were considered pretty decent in the 1980s).

    Have no idea where the really old nationals were held. In the 1980s I was a complete nobody, and no one would ever have thought to ask me to announce nationals. From what I have read in the last 2 years I am certain that many people wish I had never been asked.

  4. Mellow Johnny - July 14, 2010

    “From what I have read in the last 2 years I am certain that many people wish I had never been asked.”

    Nothing could be further from the truth. Can’t wait to hear you on the PA next week, PT!

  5. Wayne Bennett - July 14, 2010

    Sorry I won’t be in Sacramento to hear your voice. I doubt there has ever been a better announcer than Peter Taylor. Only one I ever heard even close was Lee Graham of the old Hill Country Classic in Mason, Texas, strictly local, but knew everybody from Texas and the surrounding states

  6. Terry Parks - July 14, 2010

    It is nice to see that Track & Field News also mentions Nationals on its website, and also in the meet listing its August issue.

  7. peter taylor - July 14, 2010

    Thanks, Wayne, but I don’t want this posting to be about me (too divisive a subject). We have a big meet coming up next week, and Pete Magill and Joanna Harper have made suggestions about revisions for future years.

    Weather forecasts for the big meet keep coming in (AccuWeather’s has changed considerably, while weather.com has been steady). There will be some good parties, and excitement at the meet should be high. I wonder how people are feeling right now, this close to the meet.

  8. Mellow Johnny - July 14, 2010

    Hey PT- I’m getting pretty excited for Sacto. I’ve had to readjust my goals with the schedule but now that I have, I’m ready to get after it next Friday.

    Ran 10:38 at Hayward 3 weeks back, my fastest time in over 2 years, so was hoping to improve on that. Now, my goal is to set a “Nationals PR” which would mean breaking 10:50 from Spokane in 2008 when conditions were hot as you know. My 10:53 last year at Oshkosh was due to a lapse in my training but should have been my fastest Nats yet all else being equal.

    So, if I can break 10:50 in Sacto, I’ll be happy.

  9. peter taylor - July 14, 2010

    I am sure you will have a bang-up effort. I just have to make sure that I do not introduce you as Mellow Johnny when you come to the line. And remember to keep track of where we are in relation to the time schedule that has been promulgated.

  10. Mellow Johnny - July 14, 2010

    Thanks, PT 🙂

    I usually warm-up for 50 minutes. Therefore, I’m using the end of M60-69 steeple as my cue.

    I figure 25 minutes between the end of that and the conclusion of the W30-54 race. Then another 25 minutes between the end of that and the time I run with the M50-59 in between there.

    Thoughts?

  11. peter taylor - July 14, 2010

    Sounds about right. Yes, go by the differentials between the earlier races and your race rather than the listed time of day for your race.

  12. Andrew Apisa - July 14, 2010

    I noticed that some things have changed since the last time I looked at the sacsports website. Before it looked like anyone could purchase a $13 week long parking permit. Now it looks like only those staying in the dorms can purchase those when checking in at the dorms and the rest of us have to pay $6 each day we go to the track. It no longer says you can purchase them at the Alumni Center when you pick up your packet. Am I missing something or is this true. If it did change why? Why does it seem things keep changing and unless you check the website every single day you may be caught with a surprise when you get there? Will there be an admission fee for spectators? Or do you just find that out at the meet? Some years they didn’t charge and last year they did so what will happen this year?

  13. peter taylor - July 14, 2010

    Andrew, the only thing I know (and only because I read it as a response on this site) is that there is no charge for spectators. Maybe others can help you on the remainder of your questions.

  14. comments not conversations - July 14, 2010

    Can peter taylor and mellow johnny swap email addresses please.

  15. No-Sho-Bro - July 14, 2010

    Your bragging about 1,400 competitiors at Nationals when California has close to 40,000,000 residents and then include the track athletes from neighboring Oregon that will come down to compete, who knows what the number should really be if promoted properly. It’s just pathetic! You figure out the percentages of athletes from California alone and it’s in 0000.0 decimal points…get over yourselves! This meet is a joke!

  16. Fidel - July 14, 2010

    no-sho-bro: 1400 is a big deal to us. It’s one of the only things we have as a Masters T&F community. Get off our message board if you don’t have positive things to say.

  17. Some Like it Hot - July 14, 2010

    Agree with Fidel.

    By comparison, last year’s masters swimming nationals were held in Clovis. Although there are many many more masters swimmers in Cali and nationally than masters T&F participants, that meet drew only slightly more entrants than we will have at Sacto: 1,582

    http://www.usms.org/comp/scnats09/heats/roster.php

    This will be my 4th nationals. I can’t wait!

  18. Jerry Smartt - July 15, 2010

    I ran a Masters Nationals in San Diego that could have been in the late 1960s. It was on an asphalt track. Awful. Smartty

  19. Rod Jett - July 15, 2010

    Maybe “No-Sho-Bro”, should show, so he can get his doors blown off. Of course if you can’t even use your real name in a post you don’t have the guts to “sho” anyway.

  20. Byrke Beller - July 15, 2010

    Claro que No-Show Bro needs to go! Yo!!

  21. Lindy Raney - July 15, 2010

    BMo could be a rapper yo. No sho Bro keeps his rep by not showing. +1 on PT as the best masters announcer with Lee Graham a close 2nd.

  22. Mark Cleary - July 16, 2010

    Ken, Leland McPhie contested several events at the Southern California Association Masters T & F Champs.

  23. saladin allah - July 17, 2010

    Sure gonna miss competing at this years Nationals with you all. I wish you all good luck.
    So far, I’ve solved my injury problem, and training going well….The 52.16 effort yesterday in Mahwah, NJ made me forget of the 54.13 I ran in June. Three more efforts remain that carry me through August, and down south to Virginia (potomac valley series).

  24. Doug Cameron - July 18, 2010

    Does the 1400 odd competitors include Johnny
    Foreigner? There are usually several Canucks
    and at west coast meets an occasional Aussie
    but they don’t seem to be included in lists
    posted on the meet web-site.

  25. Ken Stone - July 18, 2010

    I checked the USATF calendar today, and the Sacramento nationals are listed as USATF-sanctioned! Woohoo!

  26. Andrew Hecker - July 18, 2010

    Hey Doug. How’s it goin’ ‘eh? So like, here’s our topic. OK. It sure seems like a guy who shows up in my Long Jump is a hoser, eh. That’s what I get in a google search. Like Ontario, eh. I put my thinking tuke on. That’s like a province and everything. Take off, eh. So like, if they list him, they are probably listing other canucks already. Maybe we just can’t tell our back bacon from our smokes. So that’s our topic for the day. Like zoom out, OK, eh? Gee that was a lousy topic. Take off ‘eh.

  27. Kelsey Nakanelua - July 19, 2010

    Hey No-sho,
    I had to comment on your flawed thinking. Your are correct in using number to create an argument, but without a participation rate, age breakdown, etc. it easy to show how your thinking is flawed.
    There are 6.7 Billion people in the world and only around 2000 entries. Is that meet a joke??

  28. Kelsey Nakanelua - July 19, 2010

    The Olympics

  29. Mellow Johnny - July 19, 2010

    Latest weather predictions for the meet unfortunately aren’t quite as nice as was predicted a few days back (for distance runners anyway).

    No more 84’s listed as they’ve been replaced by 93’s.

  30. peter taylor - July 19, 2010

    Doug Cameron:

    The final number (somewhere between 1400 and 1470)includes Canadians, Australians, and others NOT included on the entry list that you can view at usatf.org.

    The highs will be in the 90s all meet, but humidity will be low. No rain at all (does not appear to rain in Sacramento in July).

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