Michael Jackson lives! And sprints, hurdles and triple-jumps, too
Michael Jackson is an M35 masters trackster who pops up four times in the results from the California State Games, aka the State Games of America. You know, the Meet from Hell. But San Diego’s Balboa Stadium was a paradise for our Michael, who might sing its praises after recording marks of 25.22 for 200, 55.03 for 400, 58.88 for 400 hurdles (very impressive) and a triple jump of 9.89 meters (32-5 1/4). I’m also sorry I didn’t say hi to M60 quarter-miler Herman Castille. He announced his retirement several years back, but he’s changed his mind. Anyway, the most interesting results from the Aug. 6 meet in San Diego? The number of DNS and SCRs (did-not-start and scratches, respectively). Some 220 are listed that way. See results here.
What would MJ have entered had he come to Sacramento worlds?
Dr. Ralph Peterson enjoying his fame from Sacramento worlds
The stories behind the photos blow me away. On Monday, a PRWeb news release about Ralph Peterson linked to my photo of Thad Wilson handing off to him in the M60 WR 4×100 at Sacramento worlds. Turns out the back story is incredible: “This was Dr. Peterson’s first relay race. The members of this relay team actually met an hour before and practiced just thirty minutes prior to the relay event.” We also learn: “Ralph Peterson is an established medical practitioner with over 30 years of professional experience, of which more than 22 years is specializing in Gastroenterology (GI). He speaks to and advises diverse medical professionals and community organizations on the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer and other GI diseases.”
Thad and anchor Ralph help the set a world record of 47.93 seconds in the 4x1.
Snappy results, live webcast from European Masters Games in Italy
The track meet of the European Masters Games has one of those snazzy flag-dotted results sites. See it here. I haven’t inspected marks closely, but I notice folks from all over the continent and elsewhere — including Argentina. Starting Sept. 9, we learn: “Raisport 1 presents on satellite channels and digital terrestrial a summary of 45 minutes from 23:45 and repeat on Raisport 2 one hour later. The studio where the broadcast takes place is in the Teghil Stadium of Lignano. On the website of European Masters Games, www.lignano2011.it, you can follow every day the live broadcast at 14:00 with guests and interviews and many competition detailed reports.”
Read the rest of this post »
Masters milers club emerges in New York City: déjà vu of origins
Conor O’Driscoll graciously shares this neat news: “Neil FitzGerald, world masters champion, has established a milers club in New York with the support of Jerry Macari’s Urban Athletics organization, and has organized three wonderful nights of miling at Van Cortlandt park track in New York City. Masters were all over the most recent meet, from inspirational advice offered at the meet commencement to newcomers by Sid Howard to gritty performances by regular masters competitors.” See the club’s website. Results from Friday are here. A Facebook page also has blossomed. BTW, this is a throwback to the origins of masters track in the mid 1960s, when David Pain organized “masters miles” in elite indoor events. It’s a wonder we haven’t seen milers clubs pop up all over. Good on you, Neil!
Lions and tigers and blackouts, oh my! Sorry for delayed posting
Earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes? They don’t faze me — especially if they’re in the East. But in a patch of the Left Coast this week, a 10-hour power outage knocked me for a loop. Actually, I had the ability to post to this blog all along. I just got distracted by day-and-night work obligations. I updated a story on the Great Blackout of 2011 dozens of times between 4 a.m Thursday and 5:30 a.m. Friday. (See it here.) I acted as rewrite man for all 13 Patch sites in San Diego County. Later Friday, my wife and I focused on La Mesa fallout. And Friday night we covered high school football.
Here's some spoiled food discarded by a local Ralphs. (Photo by Chris Stone)
Read the rest of this post »
September 10, 2011
One Comment
Tom Bernhard claims M60 American 5000 record in track time trial
Tom Bernhard
Masters meet for first-responders: World Police and Fire Games
The 2011 World Police & Fire Games — with lots of masters categories — wrapped up Sept. 5 in New York City. I note at least one fellow traveler on the USATF masters circuit — Tony Ciccone of the New York-New Jersey Port Authority Police. See results here. A friend wrote some days back: “Apparently, Track & Field (was) at Icahn Stadium, Randalls Island. … The only event not being contested is the decathlon (canceled). Apparently, had the decathlon been run, they were going to use the IAAF Deca scoring tables with no age-grading. Looks like a lot of zeros would have been chalked up for the older age groups! Unless otherwise noted, men’s and women’s individual T&F events (were) offered in the following age categories: Open: 18-29, Senior (A): 30-34, Senior (B): 35-39, Master (A): 40-44, Master (B): 45-49, Grand Master (A): 50-54, Grand Master (B): 55-59, Grand Master (C): 60-64, Grand Master (D): 65-69, Grand Master (E): 70-74, Grand Master (F): 75+. WPFG T&F records are here.”
Pete Magill is boycotting USATF records system, feels liberated
Pete Magill isn’t shy. He’ll admit he’s run for records — and to win. But not anymore. He’s done with the criminally dysfunctional system that forces athletes to carry paperwork with them, submit marks for records and cross their fingers that some technicality beyond their control won’t rob them of AR or WR recognition. He writes: “Oddly, I feel much more excited about racing for fast times in the future, knowing that I won’t have to run the post-race gauntlet trying to track to meet/race officials and explain to them why they should stop what they’re doing to fill out the incredibly complicated paperwork I’m waving in my hand! It’s amazingly liberating to know that all I’ll be doing in the future is training hard and running as fast as I can!”
Pete is one of the greatest U.S. masters cross county and 5K racers of all time.
Read the rest of this post »
Who is this runner at Berea nationals? USATF Mother Ship needs ID
USATF is circulating the photo below, asking: Who he? Actually the query from Jared Slinde, USATF communications manager, in Indianapolis was: “We are attempting to identify a photo from USA Masters this year for inclusion in our Fast Forward magazine. Can you identify this athlete?” I thought: What an easy question! Just look up his bib number in the entries. (They are listed in results.) But Jared apparently ran into the same problem I did: I can’t find anyone in his 40s or 50s with a number ending in 33 that ran a middle distance. So can you folks help?
Who is the runner in front? For bonus points, name the gent trailing behind.
Olympic champ Pierre Quinon a suicide; promoted 2015 Lyon worlds
This news is old, but the shock is still fresh: Pierre Quinon of France, the 1984 Olympic pole vault champion, committed suicide in mid-August. Becca’s site had the scoop and reaction. It’s especially a surprise to me, since I heard Pierre speak at the Sacramento worlds General Assembly only a month earlier. He was 49 and hinted he might want to make a comeback at 2015 Lyon worlds, where he’d be jumping in his hometown. Wikipedia reported: “Quinon committed suicide on August 17, 2011, by jumping out of a window in the Mediterranean city of Hyères. He was 49 and had been suffering from depression. He had been running a rotisserie business from a truck prior to his death.” What a tragedy for sport and potentially masters track.
Pierre seemed in good spirits here and at Sacramento General Assembly.
