2019

Stanislaw Kowalski returns to a favorite venue — 4 1/2 hours from his home of Swidnica near the Czech border.

International January 30, 2019

History’s oldest trackster entered at Toruń worlds: Stanislaw Kowalski is almost 109

Entry deadline for Toruń indoor worlds closed this week, and I’m excited to see Poland’s Stanislaw Kowalski, born in April 1910, down for the 60, shot and discus. At almost 109, he’s likely the oldest competitive athlete in history — even older than Japan’s Hidekichi Miyazaki, aka “Golden Bolt,” who often was credited as being the fastest M105 sprinter. Sadly, Hidekichi died last week at age 108. (I wrote about Miyazaki Mania in 2015.) WMA now lists outdoor world records for M105 (by Stan and Hidekichi), so anything Stan does at Torun will qualify as an indoor M105 world record….

Records January 29, 2019

Bill Jankovich, Angela Herzner claim American indoor records at Kenosha masters hep

Jeff Watry is reporting records set at the USATF National Masters Indoor Combined Event Championships over the weekend in Kenosha, Wisconsin — the site of every listed masters indoor hep record. (This multi is rarely contested.) M85 Bill Jankovich scored 3919 to clobber the listed American record of 2635 by Jerry Donley in 2016. And W40 Angela Herzner scored 4834 to edge the listed AR of 4547 by Erika Pierce, like Jerry’s mark also set in 2016 at Carthage College. Most consequential was the record number of masters entrants — 39 men and 10 women. And they took part despite…

A month after sharing Malaga survey results with affiliates (or selected folks), WMA shared a censored version for public consumption.

Rants January 22, 2019

Why is WMA hiding responses to Malaga survey? Page of critical comments left out

Nearly a month ago, I posted results of a WMA survey taken after Malaga worlds. (I got it from Masters Mole 3443b.) In my summary, I estimated that 115 people took part, which I called an “atrocious” 1.4 percent participation rate. But WMA revealed Tuesday that “over 500” answered the survey. So it’s only a pathetic 6.2 percent response rate. My apologies. (Yet a new page 2 of the survey response says 14.6 percent of 8,191 athletes “responded the survey.” That equates to close to 1,200. Go figure.) Anyway: WMA cherrypicks — and bats away — two complaints: locations and…

Carmen Jackinsky of Aloha, Oregon, wants to say hello and goodbye to the W55 race walk record over 50 kilometers.

General January 18, 2019

W55 race walker Carmen Jackinsky preps for 50K nationals, has Olympic Trials in mind

Carmen Jackinsky of suburban Portland, Oregon, is an inventor, coach and W55 race walker. Not sure which order she would use. But proving again that masters are far more interesting than kiddies, I point to my profile of Carmen in Times of San Diego. She walked funny as a child, she recalls, and was put in dancing. Then she wouldn’t stop hanging from a bar upside down and became a gymnast. Then she injured her back and was told she’d never be an athlete again. So she took up race walking. And then she decided to improve the design of…

Men's elite field may not challenge meet record 4:17:98 bu Jim Sorensen 10 years ago.

General January 17, 2019

Prize money returns, team competition added at Saturday’s Hartshorne Masters Miles

I love seeing heat sheets for the Hartshorne Masters Miles — the 52nd edition is Saturday at Cornell University in Ithaca, Snow York. That’s where I learn who submitted 4:56 as a seed time. This year, it’s Brian Lazzaro of Ithaca. Why 4:56? That’s my all-time PR — set indoors at Allen Fieldhouse at the University of Kansas as a 20-year-old senior. (The dirt track is gone, subsumed by a museum beneath the basketball arena.) Brian, 44, will wear Hip No. 7 in the men’s elite race, where Stefan Lingmerth, 41, is top seed at 4:25. (Defending champ Mark Williams…

Lesley Hinz (left) hugs her friend Sue McDonald after Sue lowered her own W50 American record for the 800.

International January 16, 2019

7 Americans, led by M70 sprint sensation Charles Allie, among nominees for WMA annual awards

As expected, Charles Allie is being considered for World Masters Athletics Athlete of the Year — both in the overall and sprint-group categories, WMA has announced. His M70 records at Malaga and elsewhere should make him a shoo-in for the top male prize. No American women are up for the overall Athlete of Year honors, but three Yanks have good shots at event awards — W60 middle-distancer Lesley Hinz, W65 distance great Sabra Harvey and W60 throws legend Carol Finsrud. Besides Charlie, American men in the finals for event awards are M50 middle-distancer Charles Novak, M75 thrower George Mathews and…

Joaquín Joyas likes to set records at Sabadell, Spain, with the latest being a sizzling 2:13.87 at age 60.

Records January 15, 2019

Spaniard Joaquín Joyas sets another gem of a WR: M60 800 meters indoors in 2:13.87

In Spanish, joyas means jewelry, gems or treasure. In masters track, Joaquín Joyas means world-record man. So it goes again as Joaquín took down the listed M60 world indoor record for 800 on Jan. 4 at a meet in Sabadell. He also once held the M55 WR. He clocked 2:13.87 — nipping the 2014 mark of 2:14.06 by Joe Gough of Ireland. Interestingly, back in February 2014, I reported: At the start of last weekend, Horace Grant held world indoor 800 records in M55 and M60. Today he has none. Joe Gough of Ireland claimed the M60 Sunday. Now we…

Pete Mundle, a member of the Masters Hall of Fame, was a world-class masters distance runner back in the day.

Records January 13, 2019

Nearly 2 dozen years of Pete Mundle’s single-age masters records online at mastershistory.org

Since at least the early 1970s, when he worked with Track & Field News as master of stats, Peter “Pete” Mundle was an expert on records. He kept single-age bests for all events, starting with sub-kiddies. Eventually, he confined his attention to masters. His hobby led to annual publication of Masters Age Records. They were unofficial but engrossing. Now his last 23 records booklets are online here — at mastershistory.org. L.A. resident Pete, now 90, gave permission for posting of the archive. National Masters News, which published the books until the last one in 2006, also gave its OK. They…

Carl Grove was stripped of his national title after testing positive for the metabolite epitrenbolone, USADA said.

Doping January 9, 2019

Should 90-year-old lose world record for eating tainted meat? USA Cycling loses its marbles

The sport of cycling, like the nation of Germany, is rightfully ashamed of its doping history. But that has led to some crazy superstrict policies. One has gotten a lot of attention: the loss of an M90 world record in the 2-kilometer individual pursuit at the unfortunately named Masters Track National Championships. (My local paper reported the case without mentioning the sport!) Carl Grove of Indiana, the gent who accepted a public warning, apparently ate contaminated meat the night before his July WR. USA Cycling drug-tests everyone who sets a world record. The Guardian newspaper said: “Grove told the Associated…

Peter Crombie has won more world medals than anyone in masters history, according to one account.

International January 7, 2019

Peter Crombie, World Masters Athlete of the Millennium? Champion of champions is 74

Sprinter Peter Crombie, born Christmas Day 1944, is Australia’s gift to masters track. I’ve seen him run for decades (especially at USA masters nationals), and yet didn’t really appreciate his massive dominance. And now The Guardian shares a stat new to me: He’s won a medal in every sprint event in which he’s competed since 1987. “He holds an unparalleled 19 indoor and outdoor track records, and has taken home 20 medals from outdoor world titles,” says the profile. “He has won a remarkable 65 medals in world events – more than anyone in masters history. It’s gotten to the…