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:
Over 6,000 runners traversed the roads on the northwest shores of Minnesota’s Lake Superior for Grandma’s Marathon and Half Marathon on Saturday, June 19th. From Two Harbors to Duluth, runners vied for personal goals and to be atop the podium. The Masters Male and Female Divisions were won by Galen Burell, 41, from Louisville, CO with a time of 2:32:35, and Meriah Earle, 43, from Escondido, CA clocking 2:41:26. Grandma’s reported the top male and female age graders among Masters athletes as Brent Smith, 65, from Carlton, MN in 3:02:11 for 86.5% and Barbara Russo, 58, from Bellport, NY in 3:04:05 for 92.8%.
In the Half Marathon, Angela Moll, 44, from San Diego, CA took the Masters honors in the Women’s Division, crossing the finish line in 1:23:43. Matthew Waite, 53, from St. Paul, MN turned in a 1:17:12 to take the Masters crown in the Men’s Division. Top age-graded scores were turned in by John Vandanacker, 58, from Rockford, MN in 1:17:47 for 89.9% and by Rochelle Wirth, 59, in 1:35:59 for 86.5%.
Also, a special shoutout to Jessica Stanford, 52, from Draper, UT who broke 3 American long-distance track records for the 30k (2:33:31), 20 mile (2:46:22), and 50k (4:21:15) at a special event organized by the Cornbelt Running Club in Eldridge, IA.
We are witnessing the rapid and much-anticipated return to road racing in the U.S.
As COVID-19 restrictions ease, we are seeing successful in-person races in many parts of the country. Perhaps the biggest race this year, the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, GA will take place on July 4 with over 30,000 participants, followed by the Boston Marathon with a field of 20,000 on October 11, and the TCS New York City Marathon with a cap of 33,000 participants on November 7.
We are contributing to this resurgence with an aggressive schedule of Masters Long Distance Running and XC Championships starting in September.
This year, we have three outstanding championships remaining.
- First, the USATF Masters 12k Championships as part of By Hook or By Crook 12k in Sandy Hook, NJ on September 19th. Run along the beach on a lightning-fast course. Great time of year to visit Sandy Hook and you can access New York City by car or ferry in an hour.
- Second, the 5k Masters XC event at the historic Franklin Park Course in Boston, MA on October 17th.
- Finally, the Club XC Championships will be held at the world-class Apalachee Regional Park XC course in Tallahassee, FL on December 11th. If you have never run this course, you are really missing something.
Points for the 2020-2021 Masters National Grand Prix can be earned by running the 12k Championships and the 5k XC and there will be a special Grand Prix award ceremony on December 11th in Tallahassee following the Club Cross Championships. We also reduced the maximum races that individuals and teams can score from the normal five to two for the 2020/2021 Grand Prix because of the number of events. In total, there are four events eligible, including the two upcoming races mentioned above.
2022 Grand Prix Schedule
For 2022, we have arguably the best schedule of events in our history with 10 Championship Road Race and XC Events. Our 2022 schedule is as follows:
- January 8 USATF XC National Championships San Diego, California Mission Bay
- February 26 USATF Masters 5k Championships Atlanta, Georgia Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend
- March 20 USATF Masters ½ Marathon Championships Syracuse, New York Syracuse Half Marathon
- April 3 USATF Masters 10 Mile Championships Sacramento, California SACTOWN 10
- April 24 USATF Masters 10k Championships Dedham, Massachusetts James Joyce Ramble
- Early June USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Rochester, New York Rochester Mile
- June 29 – XC, 10k, or ½ Marathon Tampere, Finland July 10 World Masters Athletics Championships
- Sept 18 USATF Masters 12k Championships Highlands, New Jersey By Hook or By Crook 12k
- Oct 22 USATF Masters 5k XC Championships Boulder, Colorado
- Dec 10 USATF Club XC Championships San Francisco, California
Our Grand Prix scoring for 2022, will begin at the Club Cross Championships in Tallahassee on December 11, 2021 and conclude with the 5k XC Championships in Boulder, Colorado. The Grand Prix awards will then be presented at the Club XC Championships in San Francisco on December 10, 2022. The rules and scoring for the Grand Prix are posted at usatfmasters.org. You can also learn more about these events by registering for our August 12 Ambassador Call at usatfmasters.org. Several of our race directors will be on the call to provide the latest details.
Get vaccinated for COVID-19 and you are good to run in USATF National events.
As we emerge from COVID-19, all races have to comply with local state and county guidelines. We are also encouraging our participants to get vaccinated. At present, if you have not been vaccinated 14 days before an event, then you must have a COVID test and test negative within 7 days of the event. Safety is important as we emerge from the pandemic.
USATF Masters LDR Catchphrase Contest Winner
I am pleased to report that we had 37 entries from all over the U.S. for our contest. The winning catchphrase, which we plan to use in MLDR communications is, “Going the Distance with the Best”. It was submitted by Paul Greer of San Diego, CA. Paul also happens to be the President of the USATF San Diego-Imperial Association. He will receive a $100 gift card for his winning entry. Congratulations, Paul!
Wanted: Assistant Web Editor for USATF Masters Website
The USATF Masters Communications Subcommittee is looking for a volunteer who is passionate about masters long-distance running to help maintain and develop their website. A basic knowledge of WordPress is helpful, but they can teach you also. The time involved is 8-12 hours a month. Once the racing season begins, we will be updating the website weekly with timely posts before and after each championship. For more information, contact Bruce Kirschner, MLDR Communications Subcommittee Chair, at bhkirsch@comcast.net.
