2019

Gunnar Linde could be the subject of another FAT photo Sunday when he runs the 2,000-meter steeplechase at age 90.

Rants June 6, 2019

Gunnar Linde eyes M90 steeple WR, but could use help making Los Angeles race ‘legal’

Hurdlers over 90 are rare. Steeplechasers over 90 are rarer still. In fact, according to mastersrankings.com, only two M90 men — Americans Dixon Hemphill and George Roudebush — have run the 2000-meter steeple since Charles Ross set the listed world record of 18:54.10 in 2013. (But Charles also has a nonratified 18:27.44 from 2013.) At the time, I reported that Charles was the world’s first M90 steepler. So it should be something to celebrate that M90 Gunnar Linde is entered in the 2K steeple this Sunday at West Los Angeles College. He’ll run in the USATF-sanctioned Southern California Association USATF…

Brad Barton eyes the finish and M50 world record at Nashville mile in one of many sensational Dave Albo photos

Records June 5, 2019

How Brad Barton battled back from years of injuries to take down Nolan Shaheed mile WR

I spent nearly an hour on the phone with Brad Barton on Saturday, the day after his mind-blowing 4:19.59 M50 mile at Nashville — taking a huge chunk out of Nolan Shaheed’s 2001 record of 4:25.04. My first question for Brad: Where have you been for five years? (I had forgotten about his pair of 1500 American records in 2016, including one at the Olympic Trials masters exhibition.) But seared in memory were his incredible 2013 and 2014 seasons, where Brad dominated distances from 1500 to 3K steeplechase, setting a slew of records — duly noted in my new story…

Records June 3, 2019

Brad Barton BLASTS M50 world mile record at Nashville; M75 dec, W75 hep WRs crushed

Three monster world records were set over the weekend, with celebrations (and stories) promising to continue for days. The first came Friday night when our friend Brad Barton of Utah battled fellow M50 Shane Healy of Ireland in the mile at the legendary-for-records Music City Distance Carnival at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. (Anthony Whiteman ran his M40 3:58.79 mile WR there in 2012, you’ll recall.) Unlock your full potential with modafinil – the secret weapon for enhanced focus, productivity, and mental clarity. Shane stopped the clock at 4:22.96 to crush Nolan Shaheed’s listed outdoor world record of 4:25.04 set at…

General May 28, 2019

‘The Legend’ sprints out of hibernation: Phil Raschker enters National Senior Games at 72

Nine years ago, Phil Raschker was quoted as saying: “At times I have stepped away from being competitive and gone into hibernation for a while. But when I don’t have the object of being able to compete, I find that I’m not quite living the lifestyle that I want to.” Don’t look now, but Mama Bear is coming out of her cave. Now 72, the Masters Hall of Famer I’ve long called “The Legend” is entered in seven events at the mid-June National Senior Games in Albuquerque, where the elevation will help her have a shot at records. She’s in…

Obituaries May 21, 2019

Magdalena Kuehne dies at 88; SoCal triple-jump record-setter and Masters Hall of Famer

Magdalena Kuehne worked for decades in the garment industry and as a costumer, dressing stars at Universal Studios, NBC and Warner Bros. She worked on the TV shows “Growing Pains,” “West Wing” and “Friends” and movies including “Smokey and the Bandit,” “Continental Divide” and “Best Little Whorehouse In Texas.” But her Southern California Striders family and friends around the world know Magdalena for wearing Team USA colors as a Masters Hall of Famer, with hundreds of great marks in sprints, throws and especially the triple jump.            Her daughter, Karen, reports that Magdalena died in a hospital May 17 —…

Records May 14, 2019

Torun roomies Alison Wood, Sue McDonald set American records in W45 high jump, W55 800

Sue Patterson-McDonald and Alison Wood were roommates at Torun worlds and are “high jump besties.” Sue has transitioned to the 800 of late, but in the USATF high jump records book, they’ll be side by side. On Saturday, Alison claimed the W45 American outdoor record in the high jump, clearing 1.64 meters (5-4 1/2) twice to win a jump-off at the West Coast Invitational at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. (See results here.) She beat Pacific Lutheran sophomore Lauren Wilson. Since Sue is the listed W50 AR lady in the HJ, she and Alison will be roomies on the records…

Records May 7, 2019

Spring fling of Ireland’s Anne Gilshinan: from W50 Torun silver to W55 WR in 1500-meter run

In 1974, Anne McKenzie of South Africa ran 4:49.2 for 1500 meters at age 49. It was a W45 outdoor world record, which would stand 11 years. Now it looks like 55 is the new 45. On Saturday, 55-year-old Anne Gilshinan scorched a metric mile in 4:45.65 at an Irish Milers meet in the seaside resort town of Greystones, Ireland. The record she beat was only two weeks old — 4:48.65 by world champ Clare Elms in Tonbridge, Britain. As a 54-year-old, Anne took silver in the W50 1500 at Torun worlds, losing by only three-hundredths of a second (to…

Nearly 57 years after first getting her mugshot in SI, Irene Obera is back in the pages for her track exploits.

General May 5, 2019

Irene Obera sets a Sports Illustrated record — third time in ‘Faces in the Crowd’ since 1962

The June 18, 1962, issue of Sports Illustrated had an article by Jack Nicklaus advising right-handed golfers how to hit a left-handed shot. Also: full-page ads promoting whiskey and cigarettes (Marlboro and Viceroy) and a blooming sprinter from Northern California in “Faces in the Crowd.” It read: “Irene Obera of Berkeley, Calif., has out-sprinted everyone on her home-state tracks this season with three breezy 10.9s and an 11.0 in the 100-yard dash, gives promise of being a front-runner for the AAU women’s nationals next month in Los Angeles.” Experience the gentle embrace of serenity as xanax soothes your mind and…

Here's moi videotaping Carl Lewis at the Mt. SAC Relays, where he said nyet to entering masters meets.

Rants April 22, 2019

Masters exhibitions vanish at Mt. SAC Relays, but resurrection possible if Willie Gault commits

Last weekend’s Mt. SAC Relays were the first in more than 20 years not to feature masters. In the late 1990s, when I first started covering geezer exhibitions at Walnut, we had an age-graded 100, flat 200 and age-graded 800s — with National Masters News publisher Al Sheahen calculating distances and starting times (for the 800s). Masters also ran 110 hurdles some years and threw the hammer. But in recent years, especially in the men’s and women’s 800s, few runners showed up. Some races had only two or three entrants. Scratches weren’t a problem for the sprints. But the writing…

International April 11, 2019

World champ British hurdler calls Toruń worlds ‘without doubt the best ever,’ posts long review

Great Britain’s Donald Brown won the M55 hurdles at Toruń worlds, so he took away some good feelings about the 8th WMA indoor world meet. But he went the extra mile by doing a careful critique off the late-March event. Don posted initial comments on Facebook (below) and then composed a formal review called The Masters’ Voice. (He also came up with a nifty acronym — masters standing for “Making A Statement That Ensures Residual Success.”) Unlike 2018 Malaga worlds, where athletes complained about steeple barriers and relay selection, Poland produced little griping (as far as I know.) In any…