USA 40 km RW Champs

[tandfman]

The AVERAGE age of the men's top 10 was 53.6.

And it gets worse. The average of the top 15 was 57.

[MJR]

The son of someone that I officiated with here (Madison) was a pretty good age-group walker, but he quit when he got to college (Air Force Academy). I think he was good in the sense of 'high up in the very thin pool', but not all that good in an 'absolute' sense (I think many good HS runners could work for a few months and been at that level).

This is exactly the problem. Someone with potential is denied the opportunity to continue, or even start. Wonderful!

[26mi235]

So the walkers were given the option of racing another 10km loop (or 2 5km, or ...) and getting an official time, I take it.

I looked at the list for what appears to be the ages of the competitors. The top several were in their 40s and early 50s. Thereafter, the ages were late 50s to 81! (no, not factorial, no one is that old), with the median age about 58. For the women, the median age was a mere 42

Yes, they were given the option of another 5 loops of 2 km.

Hmm, so we have a problem with ages of competitors (one I agree with). There is a simple solution. Get more HS kids involved by offering the event in more than just NY and Maine, for starters....

The son of someone that I officiated with here (Madison) was a pretty good age-group walker, but he quit when he got to college (Air Force Academy). I think he was good in the sense of 'high up in the very thin pool', but not all that good in an 'absolute' sense (I think many good HS runners could work for a few months and been at that level).

[MJR]

So the walkers were given the option of racing another 10km loop (or 2 5km, or ...) and getting an official time, I take it.

I looked at the list for what appears to be the ages of the competitors. The top several were in their 40s and early 50s. Thereafter, the ages were late 50s to 81! (no, not factorial, no one is that old), with the median age about 58. For the women, the median age was a mere 42

Yes, they were given the option of another 5 loops of 2 km.

Hmm, so we have a problem with ages of competitors (one I agree with). There is a simple solution. Get more HS kids involved by offering the event in more than just NY and Maine, for starters....

[tafnut]

This is not really an unusual distance, as I understand it, where 32k would be.

Um . . . yeah . . .

[26mi235]

This is not really an unusual distance, as I understand it, where 32k would be.

[tafnut]

The AVERAGE age of the men's top 10 was 53.6. Being a 50-something myself, I know exactly what that means, and for this to be a National Championship Race (albeit a rather 'unusual' distance (when's the 32K Champs?)), it is, shall we say, disappointing.

[26mi235]

So the walkers were given the option of racing another 10km loop (or 2 5km, or ...) and getting an official time, I take it.

I looked at the list for what appears to be the ages of the competitors. The top several were in their 40s and early 50s. Thereafter, the ages were late 50s to 81! (no, not factorial, no one is that old), with the median age about 58. For the women, the median age was a mere 42

Ray Sharp Varsano's Choc 47 3:27:59
2 John Soucheck Shore AC 42 3:45:52 (50 km in 4:44:20 - OT Qualifier)
3 Steve Pecinovsky Varsano's Choc 52 3:57:14
4 Ian Whatley Varsano's Choc 48 3:59:30
5 Leon Jasionowski Pegasus AC 62 4:02:48
6 Max Walker Indiana Racewalkers 60 4:10:47
7 John Fredericks Shore AC 59 4:22:45
8 Tom Quattrocchi Shore AC 56 4:24:49
9 Bob Keating New England Walkers 60 4:26:13
10 Bob Mullen Park Racewalkers 60 4:33:32
11 Luc Bussieres Unattached, Quebec 49 4:38:54 (50 km in 6:10:23)
12 Ron Salvio Shore AC 58 4:39:51
13 Peter Bayer Florida Athletic Club 81 5:10:21 (50 km in 6:33:11)
14 Patrick Bivona Unattch, LaVerne CA 66 5:26:42
15 Niall Mandal Shore AC 64 5:34:05
16 Eliot Collins Shore AC 55 5:43:32

[MJR]

MEN
1 Ray Sharp Varsano's Choc 47 3:27:59
2 John Soucheck Shore AC 42 3:45:52 (50 km in 4:44:20 - OT Qualifier)
3 Steve Pecinovsky Varsano's Choc 52 3:57:14
4 Ian Whatley Varsano's Choc 48 3:59:30
5 Leon Jasionowski Pegasus AC 62 4:02:48
6 Max Walker Indiana Racewalkers 60 4:10:47
7 John Fredericks Shore AC 59 4:22:45
8 Tom Quattrocchi Shore AC 56 4:24:49
9 Bob Keating New England Walkers 60 4:26:13
10 Bob Mullen Park Racewalkers 60 4:33:32
11 Luc Bussieres Unattached, Quebec 49 4:38:54 (50 km in 6:10:23)
12 Ron Salvio Shore AC 58 4:39:51
13 Peter Bayer Florida Athletic Club 81 5:10:21 (50 km in 6:33:11)
14 Patrick Bivona Unattch, LaVerne CA 66 5:26:42
15 Niall Mandal Shore AC 64 5:34:05
16 Eliot Collins Shore AC 55 5:43:32

WOMEN
1 Maria Michta Walk USA 21 3:51:22 (1st US Open Championship)
2 Jennifer Marlborough Unnattch, Lynbrook NY 35 4:26:23
3 Karen Karovanic West Women GotheDist 44 4:55:09
4 Maria Paul Shore AC 42 5:07:13
5 Carol Alexandra 17-Nan 47 5:47:49