This morning in Indy, the USATF Masters T&F Committee — delegates from around the country — awarded the 2011 indoor and 2012 indoor and outdoor masters nationals to three new sites. As previously telegraphed, Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, won 2012 outdoors, but was “accepted tentatively pending confirmation of facility availability and dates,” according to my mole at the USATF annual meeting. “Indoor 2011 is Albuquerque, March 4-6. The vote was 26 to 25 over Bloomington, Indiana” — which then won the 2012 indoor meet unanimously. “Votes were recounted twice by different people to verify correct count,” my mole says. Congrats to all! We dodged another bullet by having at least one bid for outdoor nationals. These sites are all virgin territory for masters — but have proved themselves up to major open and youth meets. Good for us.
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you have a great mole Ken – thanks for the update – some years it takes months to find out the dates.
Re indoors – nice to spread it around but lets hope that Albuquerque does not to a Landsover with the timing nor with the lap counting.
It always makes me a bit nervous when it is a new group that puts on a national masters meet – indoors and/or outdoors. Please no bragging about how many NCAA meets they have directed nor National High School meets, it is an entirely different kettle of fish to put on a masters meet. One can only hope that there will be some adult supervision from the national masters folks who are expert on running masters meets.
That being said – I will do what is now my standard practice for the 3k indoors and 5k outdoors – make a pest of myself with the meet director before the meet and during about lap counting – not stopping the clock when the first finisher crosses the finish line and then not restarting it and not calling out splits when the clock does not restart. Plus actually paying attention to lap counting both for the running and race walking events. I can always hope for a meet as well run as in Boston.
Forgot to mention that Albuquerque’s elevation is 5,300 feet — a little over a mile. So sprinters and jumpers should love it — and distance runners might have a hard time.
Web info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque,_New_Mexico
gasp gasp – well – maybe the mile and 800 and not the 3k! distance runners from the flat land will not like it – esp those of us with asthma,
Funny about the comments about Albuquerque – you do realize the facility is going to be used a year earlier for the USA open national indoor championship meet. So I guess they won’t have to brag about high school meets.
More details on nationals:
2012 outdoor is set at Benedictine the first weekend in August.
2012 indoor is tentatively set in Bloomington at IU pending availability of appropriate dates at the facility.
2011 outdoor which will be 1st weekend in Aug at Baldwin Wallace (in Ohio).
It’ll be good to get away from Boston and go to new cities. Albuquerque is great if you’re on a budget, and if you like the southwest. The altitude will be a challenge, but for those of us out west, we have indoor regionals in Flagstaff in Feb. to prep for.
Albuqueque is great…. it holds a major airport and flights in and out are very reasonable….getting around and accomodations are great also!!!!!
Curious why it was decided that Outdoor Nats would stay in the Midwest 2 consecutive years.
Not a big fan of that to be honest. Seems like it should go to a different geographic region first then return to the Midwest (ideally, 3 years later, actually) as that may leave people out two years in a row.
Seems like something like this would be better:
2011 Balwin Wallace (Midwest)
2012 Orono (Northeast)
2013 Eugene or Spokane (Northwest)
2014 Benedictine (Midwest)
not to mention if the Southwest wanted to get involved. Who else was bidding for 2012?
Just saw they were the only bidders and Orono is looking at 2013. Thanks to Benedictine for bidding to host just would be nice to get other venues.
That will be 2 in a row in a Midwest and 3 out of 4 when you include Oshkosh. Not the easiest on the travel budget from out here in Oregon.
Oh well…see you in Sacto!
Hey all I am new this site, need some info: I am 52 and interested in competing at the Masters Level, where and with whom do I get this process started…tahnks Rad Sanchez/Indy
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