Supergeezers enchant me. By that I mean sprinters, jumpers and throwers who blow by 90 and set their sights on competing at 100. The latest to make his presence known is New Zealand’s Lewis Taylor, who was written up in the Wanganui Chronicle as part of its coverage of the New Zealand masters nationals. One juicy tidbit in the article was this: “The oldest contestant New Zealand Veterans’ boss Jim Blair can remember at an international event was 106. Yes, 106.” That beats the oldest I know about — a couple of 104-year-old American throwers.

Anyhoo, here’s the article, should the link go bye-bye:
Lewis Taylor, 90 years and all, pounds his way down the 100m straight at Cooks Gardens on Saturday.
Lewis still going strong at 90
06.03.2006
By David Ogilvie
Lewis Taylor’s gait was not as smooth as Carl Lewis’ at his peak.
Not quite, anyway. But who cares?
Certainly Lewis Taylor didn’t. He was running his own Olympics, his own pet 100-metre sprint. And doing it at a very respectable rate.
Sure the clock, at 21.51sec, was rather slower than one might look for from a Carl Lewis, but this Lewis (the Taylor variety) is 90 years old.
Lewis Taylor is the eldest athlete at the weekend’s national veterans’ athletic championships in Wanganui. It mattered not to him – or a collection of the oldest sprinters and 1500 metres runners early on Saturday morning – that the weather had turned bad, that the southerly off the Antarctic was ripping across Cooks Gardens, and that two or three icy showers decided to drop as well.
There are 209 athletes at these championships, and these people treat their events very, very seriously.
And fit? You better believe it.
A request to Lewis Taylor for a quick chat was treated with a smile immediately – and there was no sign of being puffed out. This guy is in shape – and he says he intends to keep running until he’s 100!
In fact local athletics identity Fred Holmes remembers a world veterans’ event in Brisbane a few years ago where the 102-year-old contestant arrived at the start in a wheelchair, which followed him down the track in his 100-metres – and picked him up at the finish.
The oldest contestant New Zealand Veterans’ boss Jim Blair can remember at an international event was 106. Yes, 106. So Lewis Taylor has some distance to go.
Looking back, he remembers he ran a place for Auckland in a national sprint event in 1936. Then he maybe feels a little frustration that a promising career was upset by things like World War Two etc. “In 1938 I got married, then the War came along – and the NZ Army.”
So he changed his approach to running.
“In mid-life I took up marathons – I’ve run 50 of them,” Lewis says.
Now it’s back to sprinting. And he means to keep doing it – “I’ll run until I’m a hundred.
Me again:
The weather has been atrocious — windy, rainy with hail — at the Kiwi masters nationals, but several records were set, including “a pending new world individual age group record by 64 year old Margaret Orman (Tasman) in the 2000 metre steeplechase with a time of 9:38.64. Orman is the current world record holder in this event for women 50-54 and 55-59 age groups,” the Kiwis report.
Also: “The conditions didn’t favour the world record attempt by 85-year-old Eric deLatour in the 1500m, however he still finished in a fine time of 7:15, with the current record remaining at 7:03.”
Here are results of the meet from the first two days of the four-day meet:
Results from Day 1 and Day 2
Women
80m Hurdles W55: J Andersen (HBG) 19.17, 1.
Shot Put W35: K Fraser (WGT) 8.14, 1. W40: C McCahill (AKL) 10.89, 1; E Sila’ila’i (WBOP) 8.37, 2. W45: J Bakalich
(WBOP) 6.80, 1; M Watson (WGT) 6.10, 2. W50: H Ward (MWG) 8.26, 1; J Hastie (NTH) 6.19, 2. W55: J Evans (MWG)
9.45, 1; T Ashe (AKL) 8.32, 2; A Hunter (AKL) 8.25, 3. W60: B Austin (NTH) 8.79, 1; M Whitham (MWG) 4.81, 2. W65: G
Watts (CANT) 7.32, 1; B Bird (CANT) 7.28, 2; J Sherburn (WBOP) 6.52, 3. W70: C Brunker (NTH) 5.84, 1; I Bishop (CANT)
5.10, 2. W75: C Blair (WGT) 6.07, 1; N Pepene (NTH) 6.04, 2. W80: P Spiers (AKL) 3.53, 1.
100m W40: S Garton (AKL) 14.35, 1; A Goulter (AKL) 14.42, 2; E Sila’ila’i (WBOP) 14.61, 3. W45: J Bakalich (WBOP)
15.28, 1. W55: V Gould (WGT) 14.17, 1; S Gower (WBOP) 14.46, 2. W60: C Waring (AKL) 14.80, 1. W65: J Williams
(WBOP) 16.61, 1; F Bayler (MWG) 17.21, 2; J Hammond (WGT) 17.37, 3. W70: G van der Veeken (NTH) 22.30, 1. W30: V
Story (MWG) 14.00, 1.
Triple Jump W40: A Goulter (AKL) 8.81, 1. W55: V Gould (WGT) 7.69, 1; G Dryland (WBOP) 6.20, 2; K Tapling (AKL)
3.72, 3. W65: F Bayler (MWG) 6.03, 1. W75: C Blair (WGT) 5.08, 1; N Pepene (NTH) 4.66, 2.
Long Jump W50: M Brown (HBG) 4.06, 1. W55: V Gould (WGT) 4.10, 1; G Dryland (WBOP) 2.85, 2. W65: J Hammond
(WGT) 3.06, 1; J Sherburn (WBOP) 3.02, 2; F Bayler (MWG) 2.75, 3. W75: C Blair (WGT) 2.56, 1.
Hammer W60: B Austin (NTH) 30.06, 1; L Donaldson (CANT) 19.81, 2; M Whitham (MWG) 16.61, 3. W65: G Watts
(CANT) 26.34, 1; V Babe (NTH) 23.26, 2; C Scratton (NTH) 22.96, 3. W70: C Brunker (NTH) 23.35, 1; G van der Veeken
(NTH) 15.49, 2; I Bishop (CANT) 14.66, 3. W75: N Pepene (NTH) 16.16, 1; C Blair (WGT) 14.62, 2. W80: P Spiers (AKL)
12.16, 1.
Pole Vault W55: J Andersen (HBG) 1.90, 1.
High Jump W40: A Goulter (AKL) 1.35, 1. W60: B Austin (NTH) 1.10, 1. W75: N Pepene (NTH) 0.90, 1.
Discus W35: K Fraser (WGT) 20.51, 1. W40: C McCahill (AKL) 31.47, 1; A Goulter (AKL) 20.67, 2. W45: J Bakalich
(WBOP) 17.65, 1; M Watson (WGT) 16.38, 2. W50: H Ward (MWG) 16.74, 1; J Hastie (NTH) 14.94, 2. W55: T Ashe (AKL)
23.65, 1; J Evans (MWG) 23.49, 2; J Andersen (HBG) 19.47, 3. W60: B Austin (NTH) 19.65, 1; M Whitham (MWG) 11.98,
2. W65: G Watts (CANT) 19.03, 1; C Scratton (NTH) 17.52, 2; V Babe (NTH) 17.12, 3. W70: C Brunker (NTH) 14.32, 1; I
Bishop (CANT) 13.28, 2. W75: C Blair (WGT) 12.45, 1; N Pepene (NTH) 11.56, 2. W80: P Spiers (AKL) 7.94, 1. W30: V
Story (MWG) 15.34, 1.
100m Hurdles W30: V Story (MWG) 20.49, 1.
1500m W35: K Reid (AKL) 5:17.81, 1. W40: A Hare (WGT) 4:46.54, 1; S Hatherill (WBOP) 5:57.40, 2. W45: B Jago
(CANT) 5:32.47, 1. W50: V Adams (TAR) 5:27.65, 1; L Harris (WBOP) 6:24.17, 2. W55: J Stewart (AKL) 6:02.44, 1; J
Eastmond (NTH) 6:54.28, 2; R Winter (WBOP) 7:20.46, 3. W60: F McKenzie (NTH) 9:01.34, 1. W65: C Thompson (CANT)
7:32.91, 1.
2000m Steeplechase W40: L Reynolds (WBOP) 9:17.13, 1. W50: V Adams (TAR) 8:31.17, 1. W55: R Winter (WBOP)
11:24.74, 1. W60: M Orman (TAS) 9:38.64, 1. W70: D Cumming (HBG) 11:37.99, 1; G van der Veeken (NTH) 13:36.80, 2.
400m W35: C Bacon (AKL) 1:03.97, 1. W40: S Hatherill (WBOP) 1:14.16, 1. W45: K Gillum-Green (TAR) 1:07.81, 1; J
Bakalich (WBOP) 1:13.22, 2. W50: L Harris (WBOP) 1:15.09, 1. W55: T Ashe (AKL) 1:10.93, 1; S Gower (WBOP) 1:11.41,
2; J Eastmond (NTH) 1:26.39, 3. W60: C Waring (AKL) 1:16.69, 1. W65: J Hammond (WGT) 1:32.10, 1; J Williams
(WBOP) 1:33.59, 2. W70: G van der Veeken (NTH) 2:03.66, 1. W30: V Story (MWG) 1:09.20, 1.
3000m Walk W35: M Lei (MWG) 16:27.08, 1. W40: V Lowl (TAR) 17:55.03, 1; C Tuka (MWG) 18:34.04, 2. W45: M
Soanes (AKL) 18:16.13, 1; L Blackmore (MWG) 18:48.23, 2. W55: S Miratana (WBOP) 18:58.94, 1; M Bray (WGT)
24:48.88, 2; V Campkin (WGT) 26:38.08, 3. W60: M McIntosh (TAS) 21:00.07, 1. W65: L Foster (WBOP) 21:24.90, 1.
W70: G van der Veeken (NTH) 24:59.51, 1.
5000m W35: K Reid (AKL) 19:23.95, 1. W40: L Reynolds (WBOP) 22:57.07, 1. W45: B Jago (CANT) 20:16.23, 1. W50:
M Palmer (WGT) 26:06.67, 1. W55: R Winter (WBOP) 26:52.79, 1. W60: F McKenzie (NTH) 29:35.77, 1. W65: C Thompson
(CANT) 27:51.46, 1.
Men
1500m M35: A Davenport (MWG) 4:21.07, 1. M45: W Doney (WBOP) 4:38.61, 1; J Read (AKL) 4:49.59, 2; R Dabb
(MWG) 4:58.32, 3. M50: K Archer* (UNA) 4:35.59, 1; N Burr (CANT) 4:46.85, 1; B Kelly (MWG) 4:52.48, 2. M55: T Ogilvie
(WBOP) 4:39.15, 1; I Blyth (WGT) 5:29.21, 2. M60: B Jones (AKL) 5:22.79, 1; R McPherson (WBOP) 5:31.47, 2; R
Stephens (WGT) 5:36.51, 3. M65: D Eastmond (NTH) 6:04.09, 1; J Griffiths (MWG) 6:09.18, 2; P Hanson (WGT) 6:24.43,
3. M70: S Pavett (WBOP) 6:06.90, 1; P Mills (TAR) 6:07.02, 2. M75: M Browne (WGT) 7:10.17, 1. M85: E deLautour
(WBOP) 7:15.53, 1. M30: G McMillan (WBOP) 5:26.74, 1.
High Jump M35: R Plimmer (WGT) 1.50, 1. M40: M Macfarlane (WGT) 1.60, 1. M45: G Rawson (WGT) 1.45, 1; R Dabb
(MWG) 1.40, 2; W Doney (WBOP) 1.35, 3. M50: E Crowley (AKL) 1.25, 1; D Lobb* (COK) 1.20, 2. M55: M Andersen (HBG)
1.49, 1; B Fraser (HBG) 1.45, 2; J Pols (AKL) 1.35, 3. M60: A Wilson (STH) 1.30, 1; W Schenk (AKL) 1.25, 2; R Skuse
(HBG) 1.25, 3. M65: R McGregor (WBOP) 1.30, 1; P O’Halloran (CANT) 1.25, 2. M70: R Johnson (AKL) 1.20, 1; J Blair
(WGT) 1.15, 2; T Cowley (AKL) 1.10, 3.
400m M35: A Davenport (MWG) 55.09, 1; J Kerr (WBOP) 57.34, 2; R Plimmer (WGT) 58.38, 3. M40: M Macfarlane
(WGT) 56.82, 1; G Jensen (MWG) 56.85, 2; C Wilson (WBOP) 59.78, 3. M45: B Carswell (WBOP) 58.99, 1; W Edlin (HBG)
1:04.33, 2; K Watson (WGT) 1:10.49, 3. M50: D O’Leary (HBG) 1:00.59, 1; A Puliyadda (AKL) 1:02.12, 2; A Thomas (TAR)
1:03.64, 3. M55: R James (WGT) 1:02.68, 1; K Chambers (CANT) 1:05.18, 2; V Parker (WBOP) 1:10.59, 3. M60: M
Callaghan (HBG) 1:04.44, 1; B Jones (AKL) 1:05.50, 2; W Schenk (AKL) 1:06.15, 3. M65: R McGregor (WBOP) 1:09.44, 1;
S Foster (WBOP) 1:15.13, 2; D Eastmond (NTH) 1:16.30, 3. M70: R Johnson (AKL) 1:16.93, 1; M Wood (CANT) 1:19.93, 2;
L Williams (WBOP) 1:21.36, 3. M80: M Cook (CANT) 1:48.40, 1.
Long Jump M35: W Hinchcliff (AKL) 6.06, 1; R Plimmer (WGT) 5.22, 2; R Otto (WBOP) 2.25, 3. M40: M Macfarlane
(WGT) 5.67, 1; D Rondon (WBOP) 4.11, 2. M45: G Rawson (WGT) 5.38, 1; W Doney (WBOP) 4.10, 2; K Watson (WGT)
3.61, 3. M50: D O’Leary (HBG) 4.74, 1; E Crowley (AKL) 4.33, 2; D Lobb* (COK) 4.20, 3. M55: K Chambers (CANT) 4.64,
1; R McBeth (WGT) 4.55, 2. M60: M Callaghan (HBG) 4.61, 1; W Schenk (AKL) 4.52, 2; M Shepherd (MWG) 4.02, 3. M65:
P O’Halloran (CANT) 4.03, 1. M70: T Tolhurst (MWG) 3.94, 1; T Cowley (AKL) 3.59, 2; R Johnson (AKL) 3.55, 3. M75: H
Mein (AKL) 3.57, 1. M80: J Holland (TAS) 2.17, 1. M30: C Carstens (AKL) 5.08, 1.
100m M35: W Hinchcliff (AKL) 11.72, 1; G McPhail (WGT) 11.93, 2; R Plimmer (WGT) 12.77, 3. M40: M Macfarlane
(WGT) 12.25, 1; G Jensen (MWG) 12.46, 2; C Wilson (WBOP) 12.87, 3. M45: G Rawson (WGT) 12.31, 1; N Bartlett (AKL)
13.54, 2; W Edlin (HBG) 13.62, 3. M50: D O’Leary (HBG) 12.84, 1; A Puliyadda (AKL) 13.24, 2; C Hotta (WBOP) 13.90, 3.
M55: T Deleiros* (UNA) 12.76, 1; K Chambers (CANT) 13.20, 1; P Sharland (MWG) 13.26, 2; R McBeth (WGT) 14.24, 3.
M60: M Callaghan (HBG) 13.70, 1; W Schenk (AKL) 14.25, 2; E MacIntosh (STH) 14.58, 3. M65: P O’Halloran (CANT)
14.68, 1; N Jones (WBOP) 16.06, 2. M70: T Cowley (AKL) 15.49, 1; R Johnson (AKL) 15.54, 2; A Roberts (MWG) 15.99, 3.
M80: B Wotherspoon (HBG) 17.37, 1; M Cook (CANT) 19.66, 2; B Nicholson (WGT) 20.06, 3. M90: L Taylor (AKL) 21.51, 1.
M30: C Carstens (AKL) 11.59, 1; H Robinson 11.79, 2.
Triple Jump M60: M Callaghan (HBG) 9.27, 1; M Shepherd (MWG) 8.82, 2. M70: T Cowley (AKL) 8.10, 1; T Tolhurst
(MWG) 7.75, 2; R Johnson (AKL) 7.18, 3. M75: H Mein (AKL) 6.57, 1. M80: J Holland (TAS) 4.42, 1.
Pole Vault M40: D Rondon (WBOP) 2.90, 1; M Macfarlane (WGT) 2.80, 2. M45: G Rawson (WGT) 2.40, 1. M50: E
Crowley (AKL) 1.90, 1. M55: M Andersen (HBG) 3.10, 1; J Pols (AKL) 2.10, 2. M60: J Bradley* (UNA) 3.00, 1; A Wilson
(STH) 1.90, 1. M65: R McGregor (WBOP) 2.20, 1; N Jones (WBOP) 1.90, 2. M70: R Johnson (AKL) 2.00, 1. M75: H Mein
(AKL) 1.40, 1.
Discus M35: R Otto (WBOP) 34.06, 1. M40: M Cumming (AKL) 32.99, 1; S Weeks (MWG) 28.13, 2; D Rondon (WBOP)
25.98, 3. M45: M Flaus (STH) 33.44, 1; G Rawson (WGT) 22.38, 2; M Ward (MWG) 20.94, 3. M50: J Bradley (HBG) 32.49,
1; E Crowley (AKL) 23.77, 2. M55: R Davison (CANT) 34.70, 1; J Pols (AKL) 32.79, 2; V Parker (WBOP) 23.33, 3. M60: P
Cox (MWG) 33.28, 1; A Wilson (STH) 32.73, 2; R Skuse (HBG) 27.61, 3. M65: B Senior (CANT) 35.78, 1; R Billington (AKL)
27.22, 2; F Goodall (WGT) 26.66, 3. M70: R Ball (NTH) 36.72, 1; R Johnson (AKL) 32.76, 2; R Harris (WGT) 31.16, 3. M75:
C Bishop (CANT) 22.41, 1; A Grayburn (CANT) 19.73, 2. M80: B Nicholson (WGT) 14.62, 1. M85: D Scratton (NTH) 18.59,
1.
3000m Walk M35: A Lei (MWG) 16:48.01, 1. M50: E Kemsley (TAR) 14:47.24, 1; I Bailey (MWG) 16:33.93, 2. M55: P
Baillie (WGT) 15:48.62, 1. M60: G Little (NTH) 15:04.42, 1; M Burkinshaw (WBOP) 18:24.93, 2. M65: E Saxby (CANT)
16:26.21, 1.
Javelin M35: R Otto (WBOP) 31.70, 1; R Plimmer (WGT) 30.51, 2. M40: P Perinet (WBOP) 32.00, 1. M45: M Flaus (STH)
33.76, 1; M Roche (MWG) 33.09, 2; G Rawson (WGT) 30.71, 3.
Hammer M35: R Otto (WBOP) 38.66, 1. M40: M Cumming (AKL) 45.72, 1; S Weeks (MWG) 26.47, 2. M45: L Voight
(WGT) 34.10, 1; M Flaus (STH) 31.37, 2. M50: J Bradley (HBG) 35.94, 1; E Crowley (AKL) 13.25, 2. M55: R Davison
(CANT) 40.56, 1; J Pols (AKL) 34.00, 2; B Fraser (HBG) 27.89, 3. M60: P Cox (MWG) 41.46, 1; K Bade (WGT) 26.88, 2; R
Skuse (HBG) 25.61, 3. M65: R Billington (AKL) 34.06, 1; B Senior (CANT) 32.11, 2; W Flyger (WBOP) 28.77, 3. M70: L
Devlin (MWG) 44.22, 1; R Ball (NTH) 30.83, 2; R Laurie (AKL) 30.45, 3. M75: C Bishop (CANT) 25.01, 1; A Grayburn
(CANT) 15.84, 2. M85: D Scratton (NTH) 18.49, 1.
5000m M40: B Magill (WBOP) 17:41.67, 1; N Price (WGT) 18:16.59, 2. M45: J Read (AKL) 17:31.56, 1; R Dabb (MWG)
18:34.29, 2. M50: I Martin (WBOP) 19:55.46, 1. M55: T Ogilvie (WBOP) 17:05.19, 1; I Blyth (WGT) 21:28.62, 2. M60: R
Stephens (WGT) 19:36.04, 1; R McPherson (WBOP) 20:03.93, 2; K Jago (CANT) 25:00.36, 3. M65: J Griffiths (MWG)
23:06.69, 1; P Watts (CANT) 24:05.84, 2; R Hines (WGT) 27:25.03, 3. M70: S Pavett (WBOP) 21:53.10, 1; P Mills (TAR)
23:53.28, 2; J Tobin (HBG) 25:56.22, 3. M75: R Langmead (MWG) 26:22.23, 1; M Browne (WGT) 26:37.54, 2. M30: G
McMillan (WBOP) 19:58.42, 1.
80m Hurdles M70: R Johnson (AKL) 18.32, 1; A Roberts (MWG) 18.33, 2; T Cowley (AKL) 19.17, 3. M75: H Mein (AKL)
20.80, 1.
100m Hurdles M50: E Crowley (AKL) 28.20, 1. M55: M Andersen (HBG) 19.46, 1; F Campkin (WGT) 23.55, 2. M60: M
Callaghan (HBG) 20.15, 1. M65: S Foster (WBOP) 23.98, 1.
110m Hurdles M45: G Rawson (WGT) 19.90, 1.
2000m Steeplechase M60: R Stephens (WGT) 8:48.88, 1; A Gardiner (CANT) 10:33.40, 2. M65: D Eastmond (NTH)
9:43.51, 1. M70: P Mills (TAR) 9:55.19, 1.
3000m Steeplechase M40: B Magill (WBOP) 11:21.43, 1. M45: R Dabb (MWG) 12:26.93, 1. M50: I Martin (WBOP)
13:10.07, 1. M55: T Ogilvie (WBOP) 11:06.05, 1; F Campkin (WGT) 13:53.51, 2.
Shot Put M35: R Otto (WBOP) 11.29, 1. M40: M Macfarlane (WGT) 8.25, 1; D Rondon (WBOP) 7.54, 2. M45: M Flaus
(STH) 11.64, 1; L Voight (WGT) 11.25, 2; W Edlin (HBG) 6.15, 3. M50: J Bradley (HBG) 10.18, 1; E Crowley (AKL) 8.53, 2.
M55: J Pols (AKL) 10.69, 1; B Fraser (HBG) 10.32, 2; R Davison (CANT) 8.90, 3. M60: P Cox (MWG) 11.31, 1; R Skuse
(HBG) 9.31, 2; K Bade (WGT) 8.95, 3. M65: B Senior (CANT) 10.03, 1; R Billington (AKL) 8.68, 2; F Goodall (WGT) 8.36, 3.
M70: R Harris (WGT) 11.38, 1; R Ball (NTH) 10.93, 2; L Devlin (MWG) 9.86, 3. M75: C Bishop (CANT) 7.86, 1; A Grayburn
(CANT) 6.43, 2. M80: M Cook (CANT) 7.56, 1. M85: D Scratton (NTH) 7.24, 1.