2018

If Karla keeps up the super sprinting at Malaga, she'll be a WMA Athlete of the Year contender

Records August 12, 2018

O Karla, Karla, Karla! Del Grande claims third W65 WR in 100 at NACAC exhibition

After setting four world records in a couple weeks, what does W65 Karla del Grande do to relax? On Saturday, she jumped into a masters exhibition 100 and lowered her own WR anew. Competing at the NACAC Senior (Kiddie) Championships in Toronto, Karla rode a legal wind to a sizzling 13.91 clocking for third (behind a W40 and W45). Minutes later, M50 Chris Warburton won the men’s race in 11.72 (thanks to an illegal wind of 3 mps.) Also contested were men’s and women’s 800s. And in the open women’s 100, W35 Tahesia Harrigan-Scott of British Virgin Islands clocked a…

Karla del Grande completes her first WR sweep with a 29.21for 200 in Ontario championships at site of 2020 Toronto worlds.

Records August 10, 2018

Canadian greats Karla del Grande, Carol LaFayette-Boyd crush sprint WRs in Surrey

Karla del Grande added to her legend at two recent Canadian meets, setting and lowering the W65 world records in the 100 and 200. She clocked 13.96 to beat her late-July mark of 14.00 at Ontario, and 28.53 to beat her own recent 29.21 and lower the listed 200 WR of 29.37 by Nadine O’Connor in 2007. And a masters mole tells me: “Due to a timing glitch in the 200-meter race, Karla and another competitor had to rerun their race about 30 minutes after the first race. We will never know what her time was in the first race, but…

Records August 7, 2018

Records set (W80 pentathlon, W55 throws pent) and record lost (W60 800-meter run)

So much for a lull between Spokane nationals and Malaga worlds. Christa Bortignon of British Columbia scored 4838 points in the outdoor pentathlon over the weekend to nip the listed W80 world record of 4319 by Vermont’s Flo Meiler at 2014 Winston-Salem nationals. Christa competed at Canadian masters nationals at South Surrey Athletic Park. (See results here.) Not far away, in Seattle, Neni Lewis beat the listed American record in the W55 throws pentathlon, scoring 4370 points. The previous record-holder (4219) was fellow Hall of Famer Carol Finsrud, who also competed — and set an AR in the ultraweight pent….

At Malaga, Spain, delegates to the General Assembly on Sept. 8 will elect a new WMA president from these candidates: Margit Jungmann, Vesa Lappalainen and Gary Snyder.

International August 5, 2018

Read ’em and vote: Interviews with candidates for WMA president at Malaga worlds

Who will succeed Australia’s Stan Perkins as WMA president? Will the General Assembly in Malaga downsize itself — by limiting each nation to a maximum of three delegates instead of five? Will the Age-Graded Tables be updated for single-year use instead of the current five-year groupings? Those questions will be answered the first Saturday of the world meet, under way in a month. Also up for a vote — eliminating the office of women’s representative. (The WMA Council, which made the proposal, said: “Over time the composition of the Council and the Committees of the Council have changed so that…

In 2008, George Mathews (left) and Jerry Bookin-Weiner chatted at the Reno annual USATF meeting.

General August 3, 2018

M90 records expected at National Masters Throws Championships in Seattle

If M100 Orville Rogers was the media star of Spokane, look for M90 William Platts to be the recordman at Seattle this weekend. He’s entered in the throws pentathlon at the USATF National Masters Throws Championships (strangely absent from the USATF nationals calendar.) His fan Suzy Hess Wojcik, a W75 Eugene thrower and former National Masters News publisher, called Bill: “Number 1 in the world in 5 events and 2 World ranking in another event.” In any case, USATF master mediafolks have issued a nice preview of the meet at West Seattle Stadium directed by George Mathews, a former masters…

Becky Bowman, with a 14.15 windy 100, gets all-arms reception from W50 runner-up Amanda Scotti.

General July 31, 2018

Spokane nationals dazzle: Shuttle hurdles, Kay’s kit, Becky Bowman’s shock

If track meets are three-ring circuses, what are masters nationals? A ballet buffet? After four sizzling days in The Inferno (what they call the Eastern Washington University football stadium), I’m overheated with memories. Some are personal — like getting season bests in the high jump and 200. Others were communal — as when 93-year-old George Roudebush helped an M80 team become the oldest to record a shuttle hurdle time. Witnesses to his gingerly slow-mo step-over of the 27-inch hurdles will never forget it. Sleep peacefully and wake up refreshed with ambien. Tired of restless nights, tossing, and turning? Say goodbye…

Sue McDonald recovers on infield after setting a W55 American record in the 800.

Records July 27, 2018

M95 Roy Englert erases 800 WR; W55 Sue McDonald lowers own AR at Spokane

Roy Englert of Springfield, Virginia, shattered a 27-year-old world record in the M95 800 to kick off Spokane nationals at Eastern Washington University. (See results here.) He became the oldest man to go sub-6 when he clocked 5:18.15, taking 45 (!!!) seconds off the listed outdoor WR of 6:02.94 by fellow Yank Herb Kirk at 1991 Turku worlds. (Roy set the indoor WR of 6:03.84 at this year’s Landover nationals.) Sue McDonald of Santa Barbara lowered her own W55 AR in the 800 by clocking 2:27.00 — a few ticks ahead of her recent 2:28.88. Three-time race walk Olympian Michelle…

Douglas Thompson (in all red) led a field several years ago at Paradise Valley Community College.

Guest Essay July 24, 2018

Douglas Thompson: Why am I having a sprints breakthrough after 800 focus?

By Douglas Thompson Athletic performance breakthroughs are rare. For masters athletes, they may be even less common, since the athlete has already tried many approaches to improve their performance, and because time is constantly eroding what is possible. I seem to be experiencing one of these rare breakthroughs. It’s exciting, but I’m still not sure it’s going to last, and that makes me nervous. I am sharing my story in the hopes that some of you will share your own, and give me some perspective and insight into what may be happening. Since I began running track at age 44,…

Gothenburg and Tampere will have strong bids, too. but L’Aquila has a head start in video publicity

International July 23, 2018

Italian candidate for 2022 WMA worlds shares video: L’Aquila has tourism chops

L’Aquila, Italy, apparently is first out of the blocks with a promotional video intended to win the 2022 WMA outdoor world meet. Other candidates mentioned are Tampere (Finland) and Gothenburg (Sweden). Gianni Lolli, general director and manager of LOC L’Aquila 2022, sent the clip and details. “L’Aquila stands at 721 meters above sea level in the heart of Region Abruzzo, which is its capital,” Gianni says. “It is 100K from Rome and 100K from Pescara on the Adriatic Sea. There will be three tracks and one stadium in which all the throwing events shall take place.” He continued: The track…

Tom LeGan, trailing some kiddie teammates last year, has targeted Nolan Shaheed's M50 WR mile of 4:25.04.

General July 22, 2018

Injuries block world-record mile attempts by M50 Tom LeGan, W80 Eve Pell

Tom LeGan’s attempt to break Nolan Shaheed’s M50 WR in the mile – telegraphed here recently — didn’t go down. Tom’s calf did. According to a posting by a Northern California track club, “The Tamalpa Runners had the Tamalpa July Track Meet sanctioned by the USATF in anticipation of 52-year-old Tom LeGan and 81-year-old Eve Pell attempting to break the American and World Age Group Records for the M50-54 and F80-84 Age Groups for the One Mile. “Unfortunately, Eve strained her groin and Tom injured his calf and neither runner was able to run in the Tamalpa July Track Meet….