Lloyd Hansen, Chair of the USATF Masters Long Distance Running (MLDR) Executive Committee, shares his update on the MLDR program, including the Masters National Grand Prix championship race series:
It has been just over a year since they found the first case of COVID-19 in my home state of Utah. It has been a very tough year for all of us and everyone has been affected by the pandemic. We have seen loved ones pass away, neighbors who have been affected by serious health issues, and our entire way of life changed. Thank goodness for technology like Zoom, FaceTime, and advances in the Internet that have allowed us to still stay in touch and make it easier to weather the storm.
For the first time, we are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. The number of those vaccinated is growing rapidly. Almost all of my running friends over the age of 65 have now been vaccinated, and plans are in place for the vaccine to reach everyone very soon. COVID cases and hospitalizations are dropping, and we are beginning to see more running events on the calendar. The racing community will continue to test the waters for the rest of this year and, hopefully, we will be in great shape for 2022. I sense there is a lot of pent-up demand to return to running events, but we also want to feel safe.
It was encouraging to see the folks in Jacksonville, Florida successfully stage the Gate River Run with almost 7,000 finishers. Hopefully, that is a sign of things to come. This was also the 15k National Championship for USATF, which was won by Clayton Young from Provo, Utah, and Emily Sisson from Phoenix, Arizona. Special congratulations to David Angell from Blue Ridge, Virginia and Roberta Groner from Ledgewood, New Jersey for winning the masters competition. You can read more about the masters results in Paul Carlin’s article.
Masters LDR Ambassador Calls
In December of last year, we launched our Masters LDR Ambassador calls. The purpose of these calls is to provide real-time communication about our Masters LDR national championships. The participation so far has been beyond our expectations. We had 140 participants from 70 different running clubs across the nation for our February 11 call. There were also another 39 people who had registered and received the information online.
Our next call is scheduled from 7-8:00 pm (EDT) on May 13. We will be discussing details for the 12k National Masters Championship on September 19, the 5k National Masters Cross Country Championship in Boston on October 17, the Club Cross Championships in Tallahassee on December 11, and the USATF XC Championships in San Diego on January 8, 2022. We will also be providing an early preview of our 2022 calendar. Click here to register for the call.
Championship Schedule for 2021
We have been hit really hard with race cancellations in 2021 because of the pandemic. Unfortunately, two of our remaining races in 2021 have been canceled or deferred. The 1-mile championship in Rochester, New York has now been officially canceled, and the Half Marathon Championship that was scheduled for November 14 has been deferred to March 20, 2022. Our remaining 2021 Calendar looks like this:
- USATF Masters 12k Championship on September 19 as part of By Hook or By Crook 12k in Sandy Hook, NJ.
- USATF Masters 5k XC Championship on October 17 near Boston, MA.
- USATF Club Cross Country Championships on December 11 in Tallahassee, FL.
Points for the 2020-2021 Grand Prix can be earned in each of the first two events. Click here for the rules and scoring for this year’s National Grand Prix.
This year, the Grand Prix individual and team awards will be awarded at a special celebration as part of the National Club Cross Championships in Tallahassee on December 11. Hopefully, by then we can gather safely as we are planning an after-race party for all masters participants.
Championship Schedule for 2022
For 2022, we are focused on 9 events for our National Grand Prix. They will include 5 road races, 3 XC events, and the WMA Championships in Finland. So far, everything is coming together very well. At this point, we have either contractual or verbal commitments for all 9 events. Importantly, we are committed to publishing the entire 2022 schedule by October 2021. The 2022 Masters Grand Prix schedule will kick off with the 2021 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee.
USATF Virtual Races count toward this year’s Phidippides Award
If you are having difficulty finding races in your area, consider signing up for one of the USATF Virtual Races presented by Toyota. There is a 5k, 10k, 20k, and Half Marathon and you can earn points toward this year’s Phidippides Award. Learn more about the USATF Virtual Races presented by Toyota.
Stay safe and hope you see you soon at a race!
Look for Lloyd’s column each month.
