Sorensen beats Young, takes Portland masters mile in 4:14
M40 Jim Sorensen delivered today, winning the most highly touted masters mile in years at the Portland Track Festival. He did his usual come-from-behind thing to beat M45 world record holder Tony Young, 4:14.47 to 4:22.98. Pete Magill has the best (and only) report I can find online so far. Check out his magnificent account. I would expect runnerspace.com to post a video of the race here shortly. Sorensen also revealed his plans for Oshkosh: “I signed up for four events (800, 1500, 5K and 10K) at masters nationals,” Jim told Pete, “because I don’t know what I want to do. . . . Running in my first masters nationals — that should be cool!” Finally, a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to masters mile organizer Dave Clingan, my partner in crime. He turned double-nickels today and celebrated by running a 1500 in 4:35.17.
Deadline extended for regular-fee entry to Oshkosh nationals
Gary Snyder, chairman of the USATF Masters Track & Field Committee, writes: “Would you let folks know (the) deadline for entry without late charge (is) extended to Monday 6/15.2009 5:00 PM Eastern time.” This means that you can enter the Oshkosh masters nationals without having to pay a late fee until 5 p.m. Right Coast time Monday. I think the previous deadline for regular-fee entry was Friday. The drop-dead deadline for signing up for Oshkosh remains 5 p.m. Eastern time June 19 — this coming Friday. If you enter after Monday, you pay a late fee of $50. As a result of the economy, the National Senior Games in California and other pricey meets — Lahti and the World Masters Games in Australia — all meets stand to suffer smaller-than-usual fields.
Prediction: Sorensen over Young in today’s masters mile
Pete Magill has a wonderful preview of today’s all-star masters mile in Portland, Oregon. The key players are M45 world record holder Tony Young, 47, and M40 world record holder (in the 1500 and 800) Jim Sorensen, 42. Both come in with hot hands (and feet). But Jim has a five-year advantage in age. So I’ll go where my blogger friend won’t and make a prediction: Jim will edge Tony, 4:12 to 4:15. If rabbits are in the race, both could go faster. But I think this will be a pure tactical mile, and Tony will take it out hard, with Jim storming from 30 yards back in the last lap (as usual). Pete writes: “If your humble blogger was a betting man – and he isn’t – he’d put his money on whichever of the two has the patience to let the other lead early on. Whoever moves last will win this race.” Event organizer Dave Clingan says: “There are probably more sub-4:40 guys entered than we’ve ever had in a masters race. And it should be good conditions. It’s a little drizzly, but it’ll be cool.” Best of luck to all.
Germans making their own masters track movie: ‘Herbstgold’
At least three masters tracksters between the ages of 73 and 100 are featured in a new documentary being filmed in Germany and eventually Lahti. Called “Herbstgold” (or “Harvest Gold: Fighting Time and Age”), it will be the Eurovets version of “Racing Against the Clock,” which I reviewed four years ago. English and German language trailers have been posted on YouTube. Here’s the English one. I spotted Mel Larsen running hurdles and Bill Daprano getting ready to vault. The filmmakers are Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion and the documentary’s director is Jan Tenhaven.  In the shot below is W80 Riccione racewalk champion (and Masters Hall of Famer) Miriam Gordon, who is featured in this clip:
Click on image for 3-minute preview of German masters track film “Herbstgold.”
Bob Lida’s take on Guido’s WR: Expect German to go faster
Bob Lida, No. 1, leads Sprint Force America teammates at 2008 Penn Relays.
Long jumper, 90, goes 16-1! Best masters WR in history?
Actually not. After a masters mole alerted me to a listing on the WMA records page for a long jump mark of 4.92 (16-1 3/4) by 90-year-old Ilmari Koppinen of Finland in 2008, I did some poking around. Turns out that Ilmari actually triple-jumped 4.92. (But it’s far short of the listed M90 WR of 6.59 (21-7 1/2) by Kizo Kimura of Japan in 2001.) I found the Finn’s TJ mark on the Eurovets records page. But for the half-hour I was searching, I was half-hoping that maybe Illmari was the real Flying Finn. On the Age-Graded Tables, a long jump of 4.92 for a 90-year-old is equivalent to an Open jump of 14.98 (49-1 3/4), or an age-graded percentage of 167 percent. Not too shabby. But the really amazing part: Ilmari’s M90 mark would be better than the M75, M80 and M85 long jump records. Now we’re talking Beamonesque. Illmari also holds hurdle records, as documented by this great account in his local newspaper. But a 16-1 long jumper at 90? Sorry, Charlie. WMA, please fix.
Ilmari Koppinen is making a bid to become the oldest hurdler on record.
Masters women’s 1500 at Eugene nationals dodges a bullet
Aeron Arlin Genet won’t have to run by herself after all. Her 1,500-meter masters exhibition race at USA Open nationals is a go, thanks to a recent mini-flood of entries for the Eugene event. The Status of Entries page shows eight women with times under 5:22.50. But nobody will be in Aeron’s league. Her seed time of 4:27.50 is nearly 27 seconds up on Christine Olen, the No. 2 entrant. As recently as two weeks ago, Aeron was the only entrant. Event organizer Mark Cleary tells me he had to loosen the women’s standards to assure a field of 12, “so it will work well. I think we will have very competitive and successful events in Eugene.” The masters men’s 400 will have some horses, with at least three under 51 seconds. Deadline for entries remains June 13.
Lofton is back; Leland McPhie sets two M95 world records
In his comeback from knee surgery, NFL Hall of Famer James Lofton ran his first good 400 meters in a while Saturday at the USATF Southern California Association Masters Championships — 55.42 at age 52. Complete results are here. In other highlights, Leland McPhie of San Diego high-jumped 0.91 (2-11 3/4) and triple-jumped 3.94 (12-1 1/4) to set the first world and American records in that age group in those events. None are currently listed. (Leland already holds M95 indoor records in those events.) He also becomes the oldest jumper on record apparently.
Leland wowed officials at Spokane nationals last year, when he was only 94.
At 70, Guido Müller becomes oldest to crack 60 in the 400
Germany’s Guido Müller has been a masters sprint/hurdle legend for years. But now he’s really done it — become the first man to break 60 seconds in the 400-meter dash past 70. This is comparable to Ed Whitlock’s sub-3 marathons at 70-plus. Guido took a second off the listed M70 world record of 60.77 by Australia’s Hugh Coogan in 2006. Already the M65 WR holder  at 56.37, Guido  last Saturday clocked 59.67 at a two-day meet in Elsenfeld, Germany. He also won the 100 in 13.27 and the 200 in 27.06. The only American close to sub-60 at 70 is Bob Lida of Kansas, who ran 61.0 at Riccione worlds in 2007. So Guido is the masters track Roger Bannister, winning the race to sub-60 against Bob’s Wes Santee.  On the Age-Graded Tables, 59.67 is worth 43.67. Sadly, Bob Lida isn’t entered at Lahti, according to the final Status of Entries.Â
Guido is rarely at rest. He’s been burning up tracks for decades.
Selected photos posted from the California Senior Games
Check out our latest photo album. My wife, Chris, and I brought our trusty Nikon D80 to Caltech last Saturday for the California Senior Games. I chose 30 images for this gallery, mainly shots with pop. I’m always amazed at the effort shown in the faces of javelin throwers. This time, we also saw a softball throw event, won by Bob Powers, who also is a world-class M55 spearchucker. A series of shots featuring Bob starts here. He used a javelin-style approach and release with the softball throw. His ball flew 255 feet. (They didn’t use a tape. Just eyeballed feet for each throw.) I also got some miscellaneous jumper, runner and sprinter shots. If you see one you’d like in high-resolution, give me a holler.
