7 pacesetters help Emma Mazzenga set W80 WR at 400 meters
Emma, No. 80, surrounded by pacesetters after WR 400.
Rugenstein psyched herself for WR mile by watching Billy Mills 10K
Laurie Rugenstein, who beat the listed W65 mile world record in August, said it was “king of crazy to take up track at age 60” back in 2008. She was a road runner training for the Boston Marathon but pulled a hammie in late March, “which changed that plan.” Her masters-friendly coach in Boulder, Colorado, suggested track racing, however, and Laurie’s first meet was in June 2008. “I ran 800 wearing my heavy training shoes and got a time of 3:08.7. [Coach Ric Rojas] told me that time was good enough to get the All-American standard, and I should consider training for track races.” Five years later, she was targeting the age-group WR at the mile. And before the Fort Collins meet, she watched Billy Mills’ video from the Tokyo Olympic 10,000. “This helped me believe in myself and give myself a positive message about the outcome of the race.” I wrote Laurie for more details before learning that her race had only two entrants — and therefore ineligible for an American record. I’m not sure if that negates WR ratification as well, but her effort deserves memorialization. Hence this post and Q&A below.
Laurie does her Roger Bannister imitation in WR mile. Photo by Dave Albo.
Laurie Rugenstein lowers W65 world record in mile by 3 seconds
Professor Laurie
Decathlons kick off World Masters Games in Turin, Italy
They prefer Torino, but I like the Shroud reference. Decathlon results are now posted on the official site at the World Masters Games in Italy, starting with M30. Other events are there as well, including M55 100-meter dash, where the only American to make the final was M55 high jumper Bruce McBarnette. The American team is listed here. Photo of the Mondo track was posted by an aerial track geek named Scott Meier. He writes: “The track at Stadio Primo Nebiolo is the main venue, but there is also a secondary track where some of the field events will be contested. This stadium was built in 1959, but has been renovated recently, including a new Mondo track surface…. Good luck to my fellow masters athletes!” Meanwhile, Phil Raschker shares word of another deadline extension at the WMA world meet in Brazil: “Porto Alegre Deadline extended to August 24 (02.08.2013).” Too many meets, too little lira. (Canadian nationals ended recently, and the National Senior Games are in the rearview mirror.)
If weather holds and wind cooperates, great times are in offing at WMG.
Charles Allie WR, AR add to his legend at National Senior Games
Charles Allie is a modest gent who never toots his horn. But the M65 sprint giant has plenty of friends eager to do this. I’ve been informed — five days into the National Senior Games in Berea, Ohio — that Charles has posted jaw-dropping times in the 100, 200 and 400. (Complete results are here.) “Please take note that Charlie Allie smashed the M65 200m WR,” writes Steve Robbins, himself a WR man. “He ran an amazing 24.65 into a slight headwind. He took the record down by an astonishing 0.55. His 100m time at the Games was also under the world record but the wind was slightly over the limit.” (Steve has the listed WR of 12.37, and the 200 WR that Charles broke? That would be the 25.20 Steve ran in 2008.) In the 400 Friday (the same day as the 2), Charles ran 56.75, just short of German great Guido MГјeller’s 56.37 of 2004. But Charles who turns 66 in late August, claimed the American record, crushing Donald Neidig’s 57.07 at the Huntsman Games in 2009. Age-graded, his marks are equivalent to open times of 19.21 (Bolt’s record is 19.19) and 44.62. Charles, you’re on FIRE! Congrats.
Charles was a blur at Olathe nationals, where he basically ran by himself.
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Olympian Hari Chandra quits as WMA Asia rep after decades
Hari Chandra
Brazil worlds website is up again after maintenance shutdown
Caption says: “The site was down for maintenance, but now we’re back!”
Hugs all around at Olathe masters nationals athletes banquet
Winners of the 2012 USATF masters track awards were announced last December at the annual meeting in Daytona Beach, Florida. But the snazzy little plaques weren’t awarded until the Olathe nationals athletes banquet July 13. Check out this photo gallery of the evening. Besides Athletes of the Year Bob Lida and Jeanne Daprano, you’ll see David Pain Award winner Bob Weiner embracing masters national chair Gary Snyder and awards committee chief Mary Trotto kissing Olympian Ed Burke. Masters official Marilyn Mitchell is shown handing W75 star Fei-Mei Chou $150 in cash — thanks to a drawing seeded by StarFleet Shuttles, the last-minute savior of Olathe transit. Mary mentioned the reason for the 30-49, 50-59, 60-74 and 75-and-over age groupings. She said each grouping (male and female both) has about 500 participants. So that means USATF has about 4,000 active masters track and field athletes. Also see the food served at the banquet. I wasn’t kidding in my earlier critique.
The greatest masters sprint foursome ever assembled at one dining table (from left): Bob Lida, Bill Collins, Charles Allie and Steve Robbins.
Bard Barton lowers own steeple AR, falls short of world record
Two months ago, Brad Barton of Ogden,В Utah, broke a 37-year-old American record in the M45 steeple. Saturday in Seattle, he shot for the world record but fell 1.5 seconds short. In the process, however, he became the fastest steepler over 40 in U.S. history (by bettering the listed M40 record). Kathy Martin and Nadine O’Connor have done this (beating younger age-group records), but it’s exceedingly rare on the male side. Former USATF masters chair George Mathews was the first to report Brad’s mark, writing Brad “entered the annual Seattle Classic, Masters/Open meet on Saturday, July 20, in an attempt to break the existing world record for the men’s 45-9 3000m steeplechase of 9:16.1. Brad fell just short on a very cool, misty morning with a time of 9:17.59.”
Jeff Rodeman photo of Brad during WR try at Seattle Masters Classic.
William Bell Sr. is USATF Athlete of the Week for M90 vault WR
William Bell at Olathe.
