General

General October 20, 2018

Help Dave Albo pick out top pic from Malaga worlds for IAAF photo contest

Dave Albo the supershooter from Colorado is asking for help picking out his best of 9,300-plus images at Malaga worlds for entry in the IAAF photo contest. He’s chosen his top 13 and wants y’all to advise him on which to submit. “If I were to make the top 3,” he notes, “I’d get a trip for two to Monaco in December to attend the award ceremony. I have a LOT of good images from Malaga, so .. why not enter and see what happens? There is no downside in doing so. The hard part is that I must submit…

General October 19, 2018

Thanks, The Onion, for reminding us we don’t have to run fast — my new motto

With a heads up from Herb K, I learned of a Thursday post in The Onion that made me smile. The headline: “Sprinter Feels Like An Idiot After Finding Out About Jogging.” Of course, the reverse holds as well: “Marathoner Feels Like An Idiot After Finding Out About Sprinting.” In the meantime, I’m adopting the best of both worlds — running short distances slowly. What led YOU to choose your event?

Huntsman is among many Senior Games-style meets that offers the 50-meter dash.

General October 11, 2018

Huntsman World Senior Games boasting Mondo track at 50-plus Utah meet next week

The forecast for St. George, Utah, early next week is highs in the low 70s. Nice. It’s time for the Huntsman World Senior Games — the last major geezer meet in North America. It’s Oct. 15-17 at Snow Canyon High School (“NEW Mondo Track!!”). I don’t have access to the entrants list, but the schedule shows a lot of competition in many of the 50-plus age groups. At least nine gents over 85 are entered in the 100, for example. (And 16 in M75, 22 in M60.) So you’ll have to earn your medals. The popular 50-meter dash and standing…

General October 10, 2018

M70 SoCal TC foursome run 4×800 WR, crashing 11-minute barrier in Wichita

Relay records fall so often that I tend to get jaded. But when an M70 SoCal Track Club foursome ran in Wichita a couple weekends ago, the result was stunning and historic. The team of Gary Patton, Tim Wigger, Salih Talib and Grady Cash clocked 10:51.08 in the 4×800 to crush the listed WR of 11:09.87 by Jim Selby, Alfonse Escobar, Gunnar Linde and Avery Bryant at 1998 Orono nationals. That’s 20 years ago! In July, the team of Fred Lindsley, Grady, Tim and Salih ran a pending WR of 11:03.46 at West Regionals in Culver City, California. (I noted…

Charlie Allie anchors America's gold-medal M65 4x100 relay team at Malaga.

General October 9, 2018

Special Report: Were rules broken for sake of Yanks’ record shot in Malaga 4×100?

I love records and record attempts. But should a chance at a WR trump rules at worlds? That’s a question being raised after Charles Allie dropped down from M70 to M65 at Malaga, causing a domino effect of anger and disappointment that reached into the M80 age group. On Friday, M70 sprinter Roger Pierce contacted me via Facebook to describe what he considered a debacle involving the 4×100 relays. Later I spoke with him on the phone, as well as Charlie. I also wrote George Haywood, another M65 relay member and teammate of Charlie’s. Phil Greenwald, longtime U.S. masters team…

General September 28, 2018

San Diego State University alums trying to restore men’s track, dormant since 1992

When you review San Diego State’s men’s track all-time lists, you can’t help but note the superstars — including Olympic champion long jumpers Willie Steele (1948) and Arnie Robinson (1976). World-class sprinters and hurdlers include Steve Williams, Marty Krulee, James King, Wes Williams, Quentin Wheeler and Don Shy. Bill Halverson — a masters vaulter — is present. So is Billy Konchellah, who went on to win two world titles at 800 meters. Coach Bob Larsen went to school there. But after 1989 — nothing. Track was dropped in 1992. Women Take control of your form-building journey today! Visit our website…

Yanelle (in long black socks) had the height advantage in Malaga but not speed, although she overcame another hurdler at end

General September 16, 2018

Colombian W40 transgender hurdler claims bronze in 80H at Malaga worlds

W40 sprinter/hurdler Yanelle Del Mar Zape of Colombia never realized her dream of competing in the Olympics. She fell short of making the team for 2016 Rio Games. But at Malaga — after missing the 200-meter final by a few tenths — she finally medaled. She won bronze in the 80-meter hurdles Saturday in 11.81 seconds (behind America’s Rachel Guest in 11.73 and gold medalist Annette Funck of Germany in 11.37). Ready to take control of your fertility journey? Introducing Clomid, a trusted and effective treatment option for women struggling with ovulation issues. Say goodbye to the uncertainty and hello…

General September 13, 2018

Carolinas brace for Hurricane Florence: ‘Storm of a lifetime’ may wash out USATF events

Between now and Sept. 22, more than a dozen USATF events are set for USATF associations in North and South Carolina. Given the flooding and other damage expected from Hurricane Florence, I wouldn’t count on any of them takng place. Races include a bunch of 5Ks and associated fun runs in Mebane, Cary, Raleigh, Pittsboro and Charlotte — site of 2006 outdoor masters nationals. More important than any road race are the lives of our athletes, so I hope as many as possible have cleared out and aren’t caught in the growing power outage (156,000 customers at 9 p.m. Thursday…

Kerry Sloan, in front during a pentathlon 1500 at 2011 Berea nationals, faces serious charge involving a 17-year-old girl.

General September 7, 2018

M55 American hurdler Kerry Sloan arrested on rape charge before Malaga worlds

M55 hurdler Kerry Sloan, a masters superstar for decades, will not compete at Malaga in the 100 hurdles, 400 hurdles, high jump or be eligible for the relays. He’s in a Texas or Tulsa jail, facing charges of first-degree rape. According to media reports, Kerry was arrested at an Austin, Texas, airport Sunday by Customs and Border Protection officers, along with officers from the Austin Police Department, before he could depart on a plane to London — on the way to worlds. Here’s how local media are covering this matter: TULSA, Oklahoma — A Texas man is in jail awaiting…

For some reason, the track stadium at North Carolina A&T is wasted on football.

General September 1, 2018

USATF greenlights Greensboro for 2020 masters outdoor nationals after Upstate N.Y. drops out

Last December, I reported that two bids were received for the 2020 outdoor masters nationals – one from Greensboro, North Carolina, and the other from the Niagara Association in upstate New York. “However, because of questions about the facilities in Greensboro and the lack of detail in the Niagara Association bid (and the fact that site visits had not been conducted prior to the Annual Meeting in either Greensboro or Brockport), the [MTF] committee decided to postpone the decision,” said a report. Now we know the verdict: Greenboro. Fidel B’s keen eye spotted the dates in a recent USATF email…