masterstrack.com

Older, slower, lower: Ken Stone's hobby blog for showcasing and watchdogging adult age-group track and field

Germany’s Wolfgang Ritte raises own M60 indoor vault WR to 13-7

Wolfgang Ritte keeps getting bettah. A year ago, he raised the M60 indoor vault WR to 4.13 meters (13-6 1/2). But on Saturday he improved to 4.15 (13-7 1/4), according to this German track report: “Remarkable: the old and the new record man laid on his way to world record jump out a flawless series. Both his initial height of 3.50 meters and then the following 3.80 meters, 4.00 meters and 4.15 meters finally he mastered in the first attempt!” He also holds the M60 outdoor best of 4.32 (14-2) as well as the M55 indoor and outdoor WRs. Here’s Wolfie’s latest WR jump:

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January 22, 2015  6 Comments

Jeff Hollobaugh using Kickstarter for book: ‘How to Race the Mile’

Michigan’s Jeff Hollobaugh, a track writer and statmeister friend of mine for two decades, is raising money in advance of his upcoming book “How to Race the Mile.” He says it will be out in April. He’s using Kickstarter to raise $3,000 for cover design and more photos. “This is an indie publishing project,” he writes, “so I need all the help I can get. We are 39 percent of the way there.” In exchange for donations, he’s offering signed copies of the book and (at some levels) your name in the acknowledgments. Check out his offers. Video below shows him on BBC talking elite track.

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January 22, 2015  No Comments

Chris ‘Cardiac’ Wallace putting his heart into masters comeback

M55 jumper Chris Wallace of Arizona (unrelated to the Fox newsman or Mike Wallace) is profiled in his local paper, mainly celebrating his comeback from heart surgery. But Chris says some salient things: “You have a heart attack and it kind of brings the reality that there might not be tomorrow, so you just start going out to try things. You kind of have the ‘might as well go for it now’ attitude.” Love it. He also says he was away from the sport for 30 years, and “after that long of a period of time, you just feel awkward coming back, but I did a lot of improving that first year.” Bingo that, too. He doesn’t appear to jump in many USATF meets, but is ranked.

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January 21, 2015  2 Comments

Belgian Benoit Simonet tops masters fields at Pole Vault Summit

Benoit Simonet of Belgium, 40, jumped 4.45 meters (14-7 1/4) as the best 40-and-over entrant at the National Pole Vault Summit on Friday in Reno. Benoit won M35 at Winston-Salem nationals (after winning Belgian nationals three times, we’re told here.) His PR is 5.32 (17-5 1/2). Top M35 gent appears to be Kody Pierce, who went 4.10 (13-5 1/2). Ages aren’t given in these results. If any masters women were there, I didn’t see them. In any case, nearly 50 masters jumped in five sections, with other winners being M60 Bubba Sparks at 3.50 (11-5 3/4) and a tie between 73-year-old Mardon Connelly and 68-year-old Bruce Perkins at 3.85 (12-7 1/2). (I looked up their ages on mastersrankings.com). Star of the show was French world-record holder Renaud Lavillenie, who cleared a meet record 5.92 (19-5). (See it here.) We can ignore him until 2021, when he turns 35.

January 20, 2015  6 Comments

Amy Acuff shooting for 6th Olympics and W40 world record in HJ

In her first competition since 2012, Amy Acuff high-jumped Saturday at an all-comers meet near home in Austin, Texas, clearing 1.82 (5-11 1/2). Not bad for a lady who turns 40 in July. She hopes to be the Jeff Hartwig of 2016. Jeff made the 2008 Beijing team at age 40, vaulting an M40 world record 5.70 meters (18-8 1/2) at the Eugene Trials. But if Amy makes the team and jumps at the Rio Games, she’ll be 41. With help from meet director Seth Brower, I contacted Amy and learned that she’s serious about making a sixth Olympic team. She writes: “I jumped 6-0 and looked decent at 1.88 (6-2). I plan to jump at indoor and outdoor USATF championships. It seems that I am further along than I was at this time in Jan of 2012, so I fully expect to get that Olympic A standard and compete at World Championships this year.”

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January 19, 2015  5 Comments

This computes very well: Ed Whitlock, Alan Turing in same results

When I noted Enigma-cracker Alan Turing’s running talents, I had no idea one of my readers would confirm it via personal experience. Turns out Turing ran at the same 1949 meet as a young Ed Whitlock, the future Canadian marathon legend. Ed sent me a page from the Walton Athletic Club gazette. “Note, I was called Ted in those days as that was the diminutive for Edward in England,” Ed writes. “Alan belonged to the same running club as me and I am probably one of just a few still alive that have any association with his running side although I believe Bill Nankeville who ran in the 1948 Olympic 1500 final is still alive. I ran in several events with Alan, but to my recollection never ran against him. He was quite a bit older than me and in my innocence had no idea he was homosexual or that he had worked at Bletchley Park. I had emigrated to Canada before he died.” If Alan were still alive, he’d be 102, and likely not racing. But what would he make of today’s computer scene?

January 18, 2015  One Comment

I’m a free agent again — laid off for the third time since June 2010

Like injuries in masters track, layoffs are an occupational hazard. Friday afternoon, I was let go at Francis Parker School. After 24 years at The San Diego Union-Tribune and three years at Patch, I worked only six months at Parker, an elite private school in San Diego. I enjoyed the work, made many friends and learned a lot about PR. But alas, the school decided to cut my tenure short. So I’m updating my resume and social media profiles — and hitting the bricks again. I’m not depressed. In fact, I see opportunities and adventures around the corner. I will be fine. Thanks for your continued support of this blog and keeping me in your thoughts.

January 17, 2015  12 Comments

Anselm LeBourne takes down Nolan Shaheed WR in M55 mile

Five days after claiming an M55 WR in the indoor 1500, Anselm LeBourne did a number on the mile best, clocking an incredible 4:37.05 at an Armory meet Friday afternoon in Manhattan. [Correction follows] USATF doesn’t list the Gotham Cup as sanctioned, but as an NCAA-affiliated meet his mark should be accepted. The listed WR is Nolan Shaheed’s 4:42.89 from 2006. The Armory site posted this under photo: “This is Anselm Lebourne. He’s truly amazing! Anselm just ran a 4:37.05 mile, which was his 11th time breaking a masters age group world record: ‘My goal is to have a dozen before 2015 is completed, so I’m on my way,’ said Anselm.” Results are here. Age-graded, Anselm’s mark is worth a 3:52.6.

January 16, 2015  13 Comments

Vancouver makes it official: First Americas Masters Games in 2016

As telegraphed in October 2013, the Americas Masters Games are coming to Vancouver in 2016. A month ago, the word became official. “The 2016 Americas Masters Games will be the first regional Masters Game to be held in the Americas, with Europe currently being the only other regional Masters Games,” says the press release. The Vancouver Sun had more details. It said: “The Games, modelled on a ‘pay for play, sport for all’ model, will be held over nine days in late August and could drop as much as $35 million in direct economic benefits to the city, he said. There will be at least 20 sports, including both summer and winter ice sports, almost all of which will be held at existing city and UBC venues.” A Facebook page has been launched (with a measley 82 “Likes” as of the Ides of January). Now what will Perth think? The 2016 World Masters Athletics Championships in Australia must contend with Up Over competition. Fortunately, the Down Under meet is set for Oct. 26 to Nov. 6. So no calendar conflict. But start saving your shekels.

January 16, 2015  3 Comments

‘Enigma’ cracker Alan Turing was M35 star before masters running

Alan Turing, whose code-breaking early computer helped the Allies defeat Germany, was a world-class distance man. He’s shown running in “The Imitation Game,” now up for eight Academy Awards. But in the wake of his homosexuality conviction, he killed himself in 1954 at age 42. Still, according to his biographer, “Alan Turing achieved world-class marathon standards. His best time of 2 hours, 46 minutes, 3 seconds, was only 11 minutes slower than the winner in the 1948 Olympic Games. In a 1948 cross-country race he finished ahead of Tom Richards who was to win the silver medal in the Olympics.” A longer report said: “He continued competing until 1950 when a leg injury finally ended his career.” In any case, a 91-year-old lady my wife and I interviewed Saturday had a supporting role in the British code-breaking operation. She tells her story for the first time to American media in a Times of San Diego story. Check out my video as well.

January 15, 2015  2 Comments

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• About Ken Stone

  

  Ken Stone

  Ken has followed track as an athlete, writer and web-master since the late 1960s, and saw most sessions of track and field at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He also attended the 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Trials, the last three as a blogger and Patch correspondent. [More...]
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