Schedule posted for Jax nationals — but it’s lacking in precision

Here's what W-S sked looked like last year.

Here’s what W-S sked looked like last year.

Four days after the July 9 promise date, a detailed schedule for Jacksonville masters nationals has been posted. See it here. But don’t take it as the final iteration. Many running events are set for the same time. So you’ll know in what hour a race goes off, but not the exact minute. This won’t work, of course. Officials need an exact time to guide their check-in procedures. (Generally, you have to report to the tent a half-hour before your event.) Keep an eye on the schedule page for updates. A couple days ago, a high USATF masters source told me that members of the Games Committee were at St. Paul, helping run things at the National Senior Games (with its own issues, like a problem with wind readings not being listed in results). In any case, they didn’t finish the Jax sked until Sunday or early Monday.

Here's the first version of Jacksonville schedule, with long hurdlers all going at the same time. 50-lane track?

Jacksonville suggests most 400 hurdlers go at the same time. 50-lane track?

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July 13, 2015

17 Responses

  1. Thad Wilson - July 13, 2015

    Ken,
    I hope this isn’t the final iteration. There is a problem with the scheduling of the M50 and M60 short hurdles. There are 9 athletes entered in each event with a prelim scheduled for each. According to the USATF meet home page “The 9,400-seat Hodges Stadium is a 9-lane Olympic quality track with Mondotrack SX surface.” Why are prelims scheduled? To top that off, the M60 prelim is scheduled to run at 1300 and the finals at 1330. The young guys get a break; they go at 1300 prelim and 1400 final. 9 lanes, 9 athletes, we should go straight to a final.

  2. Mike - July 13, 2015

    Yup. Thad is right. This is a 9 lane track…

    Mike Travers

  3. Bill Pontius - July 13, 2015

    8am for hurdle finals?! Do-able but unpleasant and unexpected. Sorry the 1500 isn’t Sunday morning anymore.

  4. Mary Harada - July 13, 2015

    Interesting to see that the schedulers – who apparently did the schedule for the NSG – are NOT scheduling longer track races in the heat of the day but rather in the evening.
    At the NSG – the 1500m was scheduled for the older age groups on Friday in the middle -to late afternoon when it was as hot as it gets there. What posses them to schedule the longest track race at the NSG for athletes in their 70’s,80’s and 90’s when it is very hot? Personally I jogged the course setting a record for a PW – two minutes slower than I ran the same distance 3 weeks earlier.
    Just wait until 2017 in Birmingham, Ala – where it is always very hot and humid in July – 100+ and 80 and 90 year olds on the track running the 1500m – not a pretty thought.

  5. Peter Brady - July 13, 2015

    It’s a shame that this schedule doesn’t get posted until so close to the meet. I was planning to race both the M40 800 and 1500 on Thursday and Friday. I have a family commitment on Saturday morning, so I booked my return flight for Friday at 7 pm hoping the schedule would be similar to the last two years where the M 40 1500 was run on Friday morning. Unless the schedule changes dramatically for Friday, it looks like I won’t be able to race the 1500 this year and I will be spending Friday as a spectator rather than a competitor.

  6. Bill Murray - July 13, 2015

    I agree with Mary. Not a pretty site will it be in 2017, in July, in B’ham., AL

  7. Peter L. Taylor - July 13, 2015

    Well, evening sessions on Thursday and Friday for Jacksonville, but nothing under the lights on Saturday or Sunday. Personally, this will be a tough meet for announcing, as on Thursday I start with the 80-m hurdles in the women’s pentathlon at 8:00 AM and finish that night with the 5000, which will probably conclude about 9:35 PM.

    The middle of the day on Thursday will be heavier than the schedule indicates, as we have 65 pentathletes. If anyone wants to stop by to help I would not be too proud to take your assistance. After all, after my closing time of 10:35 PM on Thursday I will be back at the stadium at 7:30 AM on Friday to give some calls for the 8:00 field events.

  8. Peter L. Taylor - July 13, 2015

    I meant a closing time of 9:35 PM on Thursday, not 10:35. I think I’m already delirious; the predicted high for opening day is 92 degrees.

  9. Myrle - July 13, 2015

    You think that’s bad. check this out-(also on the website) Information on the Athlete Dinner & Awards Banquet coming soon! Help me understand what is soon!!!!. That’s been the information since the registration opened. I’m just glad all my events are in the morning. I booked a 530pm flight on Sunday just in case. Sorry to hear about everyone else that the schedule doesn’t work for.

  10. Phil - July 14, 2015

    Someone please explain to me how they can not have the same schedule each year with some minor modifications. Each year they get about the same number of entries in each event in each age group.
    Imagine a road race saying ‘well we might start at 8 or 8:30 depending on the entries. Come anyway even if you book your plane ticket too early to run’
    How crazy! Perhaps one year, no one should enter until there is a set schedule. Until the masters athletes make some ‘noise’, USATF will never take us seriously!

  11. ebgrant - July 14, 2015

    Nationals in Birmingham, AL in 2017? That’s only a hour and 30 mins away from me if that is the case..lol

  12. ebgrant - July 14, 2015

    I heard Outdoor was in Baton Rouge in 2017 though..

  13. Jerry Bookin-Weiner - July 14, 2015

    USATF Outdoor is in Baton Rouge. National Senior Games is in Birmingham that year. Two chances to compete in a steam bath!

  14. Bill Murray - July 14, 2015

    JB-W the heat index is 109 today in Birmingham.

  15. ebgrant - July 15, 2015

    Oh ok. Thanks, Jerry. It will only be one for me..LOL

  16. Peter L. Taylor - July 17, 2015

    @Myrle (no. 9): Information is now up; the banquet will be at the Adam W. Herbert University Center, not at a hotel. It will begin at 6:00 PM (must be a Saturday) with a social hour. You can bet I won’t be there.

    @Thad Wilson: You’re still scheduled to run trials in the 60 hurdles at 1:00 PM and then finals at 1:30 the same day. Of course, it looks like they won’t be needed.

  17. Peter L. Taylor - July 17, 2015

    Of course, I meant the M60 hurdles, not the 60 hurdles. You will be running the 100 hurdles in M60. The Jacksonville heat is already messing with my brain.

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