Charlie Allie, the M70 supersprinter, says he'll apply for travel grant. He and others say inducements will raise Team USA medal count.

Rants January 1, 2019

USATF racing clock to inform world-classers of potential $2,000 Toruń travel grants, prize money

It’s only taken 50 years, but USA masters athletes are finally getting serious financial help from their governing body. As told in my deep-dive story for Times of San Diego, more than 300 eligible Americans as old as 103 can claim up to $1,000 for travel to Toruń worlds this March, and they can bring home up to an additional $1,000 for medals — $400 for gold, $200 for silver and $100 for bronze. Relay team members, too. The overall budget is $125,000, including $25,000 pledged by a mystery donor. I contacted masters national chair Rex Harvey and a dozen…

Back in the day, Edgardo Guilbe Alomar was a stud long sprinter. Now his teenage son is running fast 200s and 400s.

Rants December 30, 2018

52-year-old Puerto Rican wrongly credited with major WRs — sub-50 for 400 meters, sub-22 for 200

A few days ago, I was alerted to previously unnoticed world records in the M50 200 and 400. At least that’s what IAAF and mastersrankings.com suggested. Both sites had 52-year-old Puerto Rico Olympian Edgardo Guilbe running incredible times in 2018 — a 200 in 21.95 and a 400 in 49.68. (Plus a sizzling 11.10 for the 100.) The listed WRs are Willie Gault’s 22.44 and Roland Gröger’s 50.73. So I started poking around — posting to the Track & Field News message board and writing the Puerto Rican athletics governing body. Soon the truth emerged. Edgardo’s son was the sub-50…

Based on this chart, about 115 answered the age-group question. So we can assume that's the overall figure.

International December 26, 2018

Few respond to WMA survey on Malaga worlds, but feedback is still eye-opening

In its latest survey, WMA asked Malaga athletes, officials and coaches what they thought. And I’ve obtained a copy of results. No exact data on how many answered. But of 8,000 entrants, roughly 115 took part — based on the “What is your age group?” question. That translates to a participation rate of 1.4 percent. Atrocious. But even if the sample is almost worthless, the 23-page “Masters Athlete Survey Post Malaga” has its moments. At the end, key comments are listed. Some are doozies. The feedback purportedly represents “most discussed topics.” (I suspect it’s almost every comment.) The last one…

Aleksandr Menkov, 2013 world champion, been cleared to compete in 2018. He'll turn masters age 35 in December 2025.

Doping December 25, 2018

WMA president gives Russians hope of competing in international masters meets in 2019

Russians wanting to compete in international masters meets may have reason to celebrate. On Christmas Day, WMA Prez Margit Jungmann wrote me: “I had the occasion to discuss the Russian case with IAAF President Lord Sebastian Coe in Monaco the day after the council decision [regarding the Russian ban being lifted] and to explain the difficulties for masters to get approval as neutral athlete. IAAF and WMA are looking together to find a solution that allows masters to become the approval of neutral athlete. This is a difficult process, but for the moment I am hopeful to find a solution….

Straddler Steve Hackel trains off concrete at a homemade facility in Illinois.

General December 24, 2018

Help comebacking M65 high jumper find brief 1971 clip from ‘CBS Sports Spectacular’

In the summer of 1971, the NAIA Outdoor track championships were held in Billings, Montana, and a second-place Sioux Falls College high jumper was interviewed by long jump legend Ralph Boston for a tape-delayed episode of “CBS Sports Spectacular.” “My last cleared height was shown on TV in about August or September of ’71 when this was broadcast,” writes Steve Hackel. “To my knowledge, this is the only video of my jumping that might still exist.” So nearly M70 Steve, making a comeback after 26 years, wrote me for help in digging up the clip of his jump. “I am…

Barbara Kousky followed Jerry Donley as TAC national masters chair in the 1980s.

Obituaries December 20, 2018

Barbara Kousky dies at 77; former national masters chair helped organize 1989 Eugene worlds

Former national masters chair Barbara Kousky has died at age 77, according to a spokesman for the Prefontaine Classic. Jeff Oliver, spokesman for the Diamond League meet in Eugene, Oregon, where Kousky once lived and partnered with meet director Tom Jordan, said Thursday: “Barbara sadly passed away last weekend. No funeral or memorial arrangements have been made as of yet.” Kousky — pronounced COW-ski — headed masters track under The Athletics Congress (TAC), which later became USA Track & Field. In 1990, she was named winner of the David Pain Award for Distinguished Service to the sport. Kousky and Jordan,…

Dan Bulkley, near reaching the finish line of life, wore the colors of Southern Oregon University, where he coached.

Obituaries December 18, 2018

Dan Bulkley dies at 101; Masters Hall of Famer made mark in hurdles — and love of many sports

Dan Bulkley died a winner. Even better, he was a player — someone who competed in track (and other sports) just for the joy of it. As his local Oregon paper reported Monday: “Bulkley, a famous masters athlete and pioneer of [Southern Oregon University’s] physical education programs and Mt. Ashland Ski Area, died Sunday evening. The Phoenix resident was 101 and, said his daughter, Dani, of Bend, ‘His philosophy was that the less you do, the less you do — and the more you do, the more you do.’ His secret was to keep moving. He fractured his back a…

Sadao Tabira left Malaga with three silvers medals at M85 distances, but also DNS 14 times in the final results.

International December 17, 2018

M85 Japanese medalist at Malaga: DNS, DNS, DNS, DNS, DNS, DNS, DNS, DNS, DNS, DNS, DNS, DNS, DNS, DNS

A few days before Malaga worlds, I went bonkers over Japanese entrant Sadao Tabira. I learned he was entered in 17 (seventeen, diecisiete, hiragana) events, including the decathlon. And he’s 85! So how did he do? Uhm. The question is how did he not do. He took silver in the 5000 (34:53.87), 10K road run (1:35:21) and 6K cross country (46:00). The rest? DNS. Did not start. Sigh. As noted originally, Sadao is a survivor of the Nagasaki atomic bomb “Fat Man.” So I can’t stay mad. He’s paid his life dues. But he probably paid hundreds of dollars more…

International December 15, 2018

Sierra Leone offers first masters meet for ‘the aged’ — helping unify nation after tense election

An African newspaper reveals another reason to embrace masters track: It helps unify a nation after a contentious election. At least in Sierra Leone. Says Awoko: “The aim of this year’s masters sports is to provide recreation for the aged and also bring the community together after all the political tension of the recent election.” According to Awoko: The President of Sports for Health, Unisa D. Kargbo, said they are going to organize the first edition of a Masters Athletics Sport meet in Masiaka on the 14-15 of this month. He said Sports for Health is a community-based organization whose…

Mark Muttai, with a history of elite marks, could threaten M40 WR at 400 in Poland.

International December 13, 2018

Tale of 2 Kenyans: One claims bogus mark, another could be WR-setter at Torun indoor worlds

In 2012, Anselm LeBourne again broke the 2-minute barrier when he ran a still-listed M50 indoor world record for 800 meters at the Boston Terrier Classic. The listed M50 outdoor WR is 1:58.65 by Nolan Shaheed in 2000. So when my California friend Matt B saw the entry list at Torun 2019 indoor worlds, he was incredulous. Kenya’s Robert Langat claims a time of 1:56.80 in the M50 800. Robert is listed in IAAF — as a 30-year-old distance runner (with a 2014 marathon PR of 2:13:49). But he doesn’t show up in mastersrankings.com. The M50 Langat also gave a…