USATF names Sabra Harvey as 2017 Masters Athlete of the Year
Sabra pulled away from Kathy Martin at 2016 Perth worlds. Photo by Rob Jerome
USATF continued:
Harvey was a force on the roads, winning overall age-graded titles at the USATF Masters mile, 5K, 10K and 15K championship races. Harvey, 68, won her first title at the 10K on April 30 in Dedham, Massachusetts, grading out at 103.56% with her time of 42:05.
In August, she won the mile road title in Flint, Michigan, in 6:07, grading out at 105.63%. At the 5K championships in October in Syracuse, New York, Harvey’s 20:44 graded out at 99.07%, and she capped off her year in late October with a 67:24 at the 15K in Tulsa, Oklahoma, grading out at 98.69%.
On the track, Harvey won 65-69 age group golds in the 800, 1500 and 5,000 at the USATF Masters Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and set a W65 world record 11:47.30 in the 3,000 meters in June at the Portland Track Festival.
Harvey began running at age 50 and continues to inspire and dominate. In the spring of 2017, she ran two sub-20 5Ks, setting world bests with times of 19:56 and 19:50.
“I set high goals for myself as a Masters athlete and am thrilled to have achieved so much this year,” Harvey said. “I’m humbled to receive the USATF Masters Athlete of the Year award and grateful for the support of the USATF Masters Committee, as well as my former coach and mentor, Karen Boler.”
Harvey’s success came even as she coped with her home being flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on August 28. She and her family were forced to evacuate and are planning to rebuild.
“You just have to move forward, one day at a time, and stay positive. I had high expectations for myself this year, and I had no idea that something would happen. It’s character building. You have to be creative in order to maintain some type of schedule for your training but you find ways to adapt and get where you need.”
One Response
Congratulations to Sabra! A great year for her.
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