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:
We are witnessing the rapid and much-anticipated return to road racing in the U.S. As COVID restrictions ease, successful in-person races have been held in many parts of the country, including the Gate River Run in Jacksonville, Florida, with over 8,000 runners, and the Publix Gasparilla Distance Race Classic, with a half marathon field of 4,000. Other prominent races have announced their return, including Grandma’s Marathon race weekend in Duluth MN with an expected 9,500 participants (June 17-June 19), the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta with over 30,000 participants (July 3-4), the Boston Marathon with a field of 20,000 (October 11), and the TCS New York City Marathon with a cap of 33,000 participants (November 7).
We plan to be part of this resurgence with an aggressive schedule of Masters Long Distance Running and XC Championships.
Starting in September, we have three outstanding championship events.
- First, the USATF Masters 12k Championships which is part of the By Hook or By Crook 12k in Sandy Hook, NJ on September 19. The race is along the beach on a lightning-fast course. You can also combine the race with a visit to NYC, which is only an hour away by car or ferry.
- Second, the 5k Masters XC event at the famed Franklin Park course in Boston MA. Franklin Park has been the host to hundreds of high school and collegiate championships and has been a host to the World XC Championships.
- Finally, the Club XC Championships will be held at another world-class XC facility at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee Florida on December 11. If you have never run this course, you are really missing something.
Points for the 2020-2021 Masters Grand Prix can be earned by running the 12k Championships and the 5k XC and there will be a special Masters National Grand Prix award ceremony on December 11 in Tallahassee following the Club Cross Championships. We also reduced the maximum races that individuals and teams can score from three to two for the 2020/2021 Masters National Grand Prix. In total, there are four events eligible, including the two upcoming races. You can learn more about these events and our Masters National Grand Prix at usatfmasters.org.
For 2022, we have perhaps the best schedule in our history with 10 national championship events.
Our Championships Subcommittee has been working very hard at putting together what we believe will be one of the best ever Grand Prix schedules for 2022. Right now, we have either contracts or verbal commitments for 10 events, including 6 road races, 3 XC races, and the World Masters Athletics (WMA) Championships in Tampere, Finland. There will be 3 races on the West Coast, 3 in the Northeast, 2 in the Southeast, and 1 in the Midwest/Mountain West. Please join us for a comprehensive discussion of the entire 2022 schedule at our quarterly Masters LDR Ambassador call on August 12. You will receive first-hand information directly from our race directors. More information will be available soon about how to register for the August 12 call at usatfmasters.org.
Get vaccinated for COVID-19 and you are good to run in USATF National events.
As we emerge from COVID-19, we want to protect the safety of our participants. All races have to comply with local state and county guidelines. We are also encouraging our participants to get vaccinated. 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. You can learn more about the COVID protections for all USATF races at usatf.org/covid19.
