American record

Kate Landau, shown at another race, kicked butt with the kiddies in the Portland 10K.

Records June 13, 2018

Kate Landau claims W40 American record 10K at Portland after health crises

Kate Landau is officially back. The silver medalist at the 1996 NCAA championships in the 10K was 19th in the elite 10,000 at last weekend’s Portland Track Festival. Her age isn’t noted, but her splits were — and a finishing time of 3:44:46.01. She’s 41. That means she shatters the listed W40 American record of 34:58.54 by Madelyn Noe-Schlentz in 2002. (The listed WR is 31:33.44 by Rio Olympian Jo Pavey of Great Britain, but Kenya’s Edith Masai ran 31:31.18 in 2007.) Kate’s historic run comes after a rollercoaster career that saw her fighting an eating disorder — anorexia —…

James Patterson makes the spin look easy. It isn't.

Records June 6, 2018

James Patterson pulverizes Lad Pataki M55 American record in shot

George Mathews, our former national masters chair, writes from the Great Northwest: “Jim Patterson traveled to Seattle for the Seattle Parks & Recreation USATF-sanctioned meet (see results) and set a new men’s 55 shot put (American) record with a put of 16.23 meters (53-3). Jim looked very strong throughout the competition.” His record throw was on his third attempt. The meet was modest, but Jim’s effort with the 6-kilo ball beat the listed and legendary AR of 16.06 (52-8¼) by Hall of Famer Ladislav Pataki in Santa Barbara in 2001. Lad, who died of brain cancer in 2007, was a…

Kirsten is a road warrior, too.

General May 1, 2018

USATF notes Kirsten O’Hara-Leetch 10K AR — after a little nudge

A couple days after Kirsten O’Hara-Leetch set a W50 American record in the track 10K (the only one that counts), I posted the news as part of a Mt. SAC Relays roundup. Per custom, I shot a note to USATF communications to let them know. Sometimes my suggestions get Athlete of the Week recognition. But days passed, and USATF didn’t announce a winner. Finally, today (almost a week after AoWs are typically posted), I wrote my Indy contact: Did you pick an AoW? The answer: “Yes, we did! Posting got lost with all the Penn/Drake business but it is up…