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 still have a lot of concern over the pandemic but slowly we are seeing more races and running events taking place. USATF has issued new guidelines to safely conduct road races based heavily on more and easier access to testing. They are also encouraging all of our athletes to be vaccinated as soon as possible. You can learn more about these guidelines at USATF.org.
Four Important National Championship Masters Events for 2021
Help us rise up from the pandemic by participating in one or more of our Four National Championship Events in 2021. You do not need to qualify for these events and you can run with a team or individually. You can learn more about these events, as well as the Masters National Grand Prix at usatfmasters.org.
- the USATF Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championships on July 22-25 at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa;
- the USATF Masters 12k Championships on September 19 as part of By Hook or By Crook 12k in Sandy Hook, NJ;
- the USATF Masters 5k XC Championships on October 17 in Boston, MA, and;
- the USATF Club Cross Country Championships on December 11 in Tallahassee, FL.
Points for the 2020-2021 Masters National Grand Prix can be earned for the 12k Championships and the 5k XC and there will be a special Grand Prix award ceremony on December 11 in Tallahassee following the Club Cross Championships. We also reduced the maximum number of races that individuals and teams can score from three to two for the 2020/2021 Grand Prix. In total, there are four events eligible, including the two upcoming races.
Join us for a comprehensive “reveal” of our 2022 National Grand Prix Schedule
Our Championships Subcommittee has been working very hard at putting together what we believe will be one of the best ever Masters National 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) Championship in Tampere, Finland.
Please join us for a comprehensive discussion of the entire 2022 schedule at our May 13 Masters LDR Ambassador Zoom call.
You can register for the call at https://us02web.zoom.us/
Don’t wait as we have limited capacity for the call.
We will also provide an update on the USATF requirements for providing safe events as we recover from the COVID 19. This will include plans for the remaining 2021 events.
USATF Virtual Races will 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 Awards. You can learn more about these events at the usatfmasters.org website.
Stay safe and hope you see you at our Masters LDR Ambassador Zoom call on May 13 or at a race soon!
Look for Lloyd’s column each month.
