Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

[Guest]

Today, for whatever reason, I was glancing at all of the US ranked Masters runners and saw one guy at the top in just about every distance in the 40+ catagorie, Tony Young. His 800-5000 running looks quite exceptional for his age with what appears to be a World Record pending in the 1500, 3:46.41!!! Has there been an older fella in the past with the same middle distance range? I know Coghlan and Moorcroft ran great miles at 40ish, but what about the 800, 1500 and 3k's? Anyone?

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

If Regina Jacobs runs the 1,500 at the World Championships, she may have a good chance of breaking Yekaterina Podkopayeva's 9-year-old masters (40+) world record of 3:59.78. Regina will be 40 before the final (if she qualifies). Podkopayeva was 42 in 1994.

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

i believe podkopayeva is still running sub 2.30 marathons at 49, she won los angeles, if range and longevity are considered podkopayeva maybe the best women runner ever. did tony young run for cal state los angeles?

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

I once read in Runner's World about a 70 year old who ran a mile in 4:43. A 4:43 was my mile PR in High School. Can you imagine a 80 year old running a 5 minute mile!!

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

I think Percy Cerutty could run sub-5 in his 70's or 80's

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

ONE MILE
Here are some US masters marks for the mile run.

DIV. MARK NAME(RESIDENCE) AGE MEET DATE
M35 3:54.13 Steve Scott(CA) 35 7- 1-91
M40 4:09.61 Tony Young(WA) 40 6- 8-02
M45 4:18.83 Ken Sparks(OH) 45 4-24-90
M50 4:27.9 Nolan Shaheed(CA)50 2-12-00
M55 4:45.6 Vic Heckler(IL) 55 8-17-97
M60 4:58.2 Jim Sutton(PA) 60 8-17-91
M65 5:22 M.Montgomery(CA) 65 4- 8-72
M70 5:42.2 M.Montgomery(CA) 70 7- 9-77
M75 5:57.2 Scotty Carter(MA)75 7-12-92
M80 7:51.9 H.Sypniewski(NY) 81 6-15-00
M85 12:23.6 Herb Kirk(MT) 87 8-26-83
M90 13:43.6 Herb Kirk(MT) 90 8-18-86
M95 14:48.2 Herb Kirk(MT)
M100+ ? ? No-one is crazy enough yet.

The guy that ran the record at 95 should be given a award just for finishing. After 60 the times drop off dramatically. At this stage the body is basically breaking down. At 60 Jim Sutton would just make a high school varsity mile team.

I like to see the 100 year old mark.

Hate to break it to you Andy, but nobody is going to run a 5 minute mile at 80.

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

Hate to
>break it to you Andy, but nobody is going to run
>a 5 minute mile at 80.

Yeah? Wait'll they start removing the heads/brains of the elderly and placing them into robot bodies!

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

<<Yeah? Wait'll they start removing the heads/brains of the elderly and placing them into robot bodies!>>

Been there done that.....

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

><<Yeah? Wait'll they start removing the
>heads/brains of the elderly and placing them into
>robot bodies!>>

Been there done that.....

Really? Are you on FUTURAMA? : )

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

"I like to see the 100 year old mark."

Never been done... Every 100 year old who has attempted to run the mile is either still trying to finish or died of a heart attack on the gun lap

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

i think alan webb will get it, so his legacy will show he once had the high school record, and stayed with running long enough to get the record for centurians, showing perseverance pays off.

[RussJD]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

I'll bet the guy who set the 100 meter record for 100 year olds at the Penn Relays could come up with a pretty good mile. After all, the mile pace would seem slow to him.

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

I think the US meets this past spring (Pre especially) missed a golden opportunity to invite Tony to race the mile. Why invite 2 H.S. kids and not invite Tony? A marketing fumble by our governing body not to work to get Tony a visible opportunity to break 4 minutes as a master. I can only hope Masback and Co. were all over this and Tony declined, otherwise a fumble at the top.

[Guest]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

Wouldn't the 100 year old mark be basically a walk. The 95 year old was probably jogging at about 4.5 mph when he set his record.
How much slower will a 95 year old be compared to a 100 year old.

[polevaultpower]

Re: Masters Middle Distance Phenom?!

>I think the US meets this past spring (Pre
>especially) missed a golden opportunity to invite
>Tony to race the mile. Why invite 2 H.S. kids
>and not invite Tony? A marketing fumble by our
>governing body not to work to get Tony a visible
>opportunity to break 4 minutes as a master. I
>can only hope Masback and Co. were all over this
>and Tony declined, otherwise a fumble at the top.
>

USATF must not have thought it was much of a marketing opportunity. Tony races for Club Northwest, which Bill Roe is a key part of, so if I am sure USATF wanted to showcase him they could.

Tony gets plenty of opportunities to race. He runs at all the big local meets at UW and the Seattle International. He runs at lots of the all-comers meets in the summer as well.

I would imagine there is more interest in the general public in seeing a high schooler break the 4-minute mile than a 40-year-old.