Boston, MA
March 2nd
The speed and power of runners over age 40 was given prominent display during the USATF Open Indoor National Championships on March 2 at the famed Armory in New York City.
The Masters Invitational Program, an ongoing series of exhibition races for runners 40 and older that are featured during major competitions for elite track and field athletes, offered the enthusiastic crowd a women’s 400 meter dash and men’s mile.
Rose Monday, 43, took control on the final lap of the women’s 400 and won in 59.96.
Mike Egle, 40, who came into the meet with the No. 1 indoor mile time this season, led wire to wire and won in 4:18.48. Monday, a three-time U.S. Olympic trials competitor and the 400 meter champion at last year’s Masters world championships in Australia, had too much speed for Denise McField, who led the first lap and finished second, and Jacqueline Board, who took third.
Carolyn Smith-Hannah, 51, finished fifth, and her time of 65.61 clipped about 1 second off the American record for women in the 50-54 age group. Smith-Hannah already held the age-group American records for the indoor 800 meters, 1500 meters and mile. Last year, Smith-Hannah pulled off a hat trick of national honors by being named the women’s 50-54 Athlete of the Year in track, cross-country and long-distance running by the Masters committee of USATF.
In the mile, pacesetter Isayah Okwiya came through the first 400 meters in 64 seconds. When he stepped off the track at the halfway point, Egle was leading a pack comprised of Steve Gallagher, Jamin Aasum and Peter Magill.
Results
Men 1 Mile Run Masters
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Name Year Team Finals
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Finals
1 Mike Egle Unattached 4:18.48
2 Doug Martyn Whirlaway RT 4:20.48
3 Peter Magill SoCal TC 4:21.39
4 Thomas Dalton Adirondack TC 4:21.78
5 Steve Gallagher Unattached 4:22.66
6 Jamin Aasum SoCal TC 4:23.55
7 Conor O'Driscoll Unattached 4:25.18
8 Paul Hammond Whirlaway RT 4:26.31
9 Nolan Shaheed SoCal TC 4:26.75
10 Mike Platt Syracuse Cha 4:31.84
Women 400 Meter Dash Masters
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Name Year Team Finals
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Finals
1 Rose Monday Track West 59.96
2 Denise McField Unattached 1:02.34
3 Jacqueline Board Unattached 1:03.02
4 Paula Dickson-Taylor AUI 1:04.78
5 Carolyn Smith-Hanna GV Harriers 1:05.61
6 Louise Clark Aura International 1:07.75
