SAMUELSON BLASTS AMERICAN RECORD AT USA MASTERS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
by Jim Ferstle, Runner's World Magazine
Sunday, March 30, 2003

Joan Samuelson on her way
to setting an American indoor
record for 3000 meters
Photo by Jeffrey Lee

    A pair of distance running icons brought a bit of publicity to the USATF Masters Championships last weekend at the Reggie Lewis Track at Roxbury Community College outside Boston. After Joan Samuelson and Bill Rodgers ran the 3,000 meters in nearly identical times, pictures of each were featured on the front page of the Boston Globe sports section, as well as added coverage from the local television stations.

    The media coverage wasn't lost on some of the 65-year-old men's 3000 competitors, who had to extend their warm ups as their race was pushed back to make room for a special section of the 3000 featuring Rodgers and other 55-59 year-old racers. "I guess it's OK," said one of the 65-year-olds of the schedule alteration. "If it gets us this kind of publicity maybe more people will come out to see the meet."

    Bringing in Rodgers and Samuelson, as well as sprinter/hurdlers Willie Gault and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, was the idea of Washington, DC PR consultant Robert Weiner, himself an avid Masters distance runner. Weiner had worked on legislation to aid the elderly when he was a staffer for Claude Pepper, and, more recently, did media relations for former "drug czar," Barry McCaffrey.  Weiner coaxed Rodgers and Samuelson to run the Masters meet. It had been decades since either had run an indoor 3-K. Rodgers, 55, said he last ran on the "boards" when he was 15 or 16 years old. Samuelson said her last one was 1983. Afterward both were characteristically upbeat about the experience and Weiner was already trying to convince them to do it again next year.

    "This was a blast," said Rodgers, who was third in 10:03:57, nearly 15 seconds behind winner Harry Nolan, who ran 9:50.86.  "Tonight I aged about five years. Track is a tough, tough sport."

    Nolan noted that it was only the second time he's beaten Rodgers and graciously suggested that if the race had been longer, the result would probably have been different. "He runs distances 5-K and up," said Nolan. "I'll run it 5-K and down, so I'm more used to this type of race. If it had been 5K or longer, than Bill probably would have taken it to us."

    Which is exactly what Samuleson, 45, did to the other women. Running alone for most of the race, Joan broke the old 45-49 age group mark of Joni Shirly by more than a minute, clocking 10:02.55. The result was another graphic demonstration of Samuelson's talent and determination. Her preparation was unorthodox but reflective of her current priorities. Samuelson spent much of the winter coaching the junior high cross country ski team in Freeport, Maine, as well as participating in regular ski outings with her family.

    "I've logged more miles on skis than I have on my running shoes," she said. Thus, Samuelson said, she felt strong but not particularly fast. Not surprising as she only ran on the track twice prior to the meet. From those few forays, Samuelson figured she could probably run around 10 minutes for the 3K, so that is the pace she set, hoping perhaps to be able to find the speed to go a little faster. When she was told that she'd broken the age 45 record by over a minute, Samuelson asked: "What's the age 40 record?" (It's 9:58.88 by Madelyn Noe). Hearing this, Samuelson said she'd wished she known that beforehand, and later hinted that this may not be her last track race this year.

    Noting that her right Achilles tendon continues to give her problems, Samuelson said in response to a question about her plans for the marathon or the track: "I have the B standard qualifying time (for the Trials). I don't know what I'll do. (Marathon training) really takes a toll on my Achilles. I don't have any track races planned, that may change."

    Samuelson wasn't the only recordsetter during the weekend, however, as 14 world age group marks and 38 American age group records were believed to have been broken during the 3-day meet. "I think particularly during these times, I'm very heartened that everyone decided to come and participate," said George Mathews, chairman of USATF's masters track and field committee. "I think that we all came together and performed so well is a testament to our spirit. Masters track and field is about more than just competition. It's about camaraderie and the spirit that goes on between athletes."

SAMUELSON BREAKS MASTERS INDOOR RECORD
by Associated Press (story ran in hundreds of newspapers)
March 28, 2003, 8:51 PM EST

    BOSTON -- Running in her first indoor track meet in over 20 years, Joan Benoit Samuelson broke the masters division record for the 3,000 meters with a time of 10 minutes, 2.5 seconds at the USA Track and Field National Masters Indoor Championship on Friday.

    Samuelson, who set the current American record for the marathon at 2:21:21 in the Chicago Marathon in 1985, usually skips indoor meets due to a chronic problem with her Achilles' tendons that she's been battling since the mid-1980s.

    The slopes of the indoor track tend to aggravate the condition, but Samuelson said the prospect of competing in Boston was enough of a draw. Samuelson scored her first big win in the Boston Marathon in 1979.

    "I was intrigued by the idea of running here because of the idea of a national championship in Boston," said Samuelson, 45. "This is where I launched my career. I'm not ready to end it yet."

    The old record in the masters 3,000 meters was 11:06.77, set by Joni Shirley of California in 1992.

    Marge Bellisle, 47, of Warwick, R.I. finished second at 10:34.77.

    Four-time Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers competed in the men's 3,000 meters, largely to show support and help draw attention to masters track and field. Rodgers finished in 10:03.57, behind Harold Nolan of Warwick, R.I., who came in at 9:50.92.

    "I don't run as much as I used to, but I love to compete and I love the sport," said Rodgers, 55. "Tonight I aged about five years. There's some really good competition here."

THESE LEGENDS ARE AGELESS
by Andy Nesbitt, The Boston Globe staff correspondent
Saturday, March 29, 2003 -- FRONT PAGE, Sports
(TWO PHOTOS captioned: STILL ON TRACK:  Two New England running  legends,  Bill Rodgers and Joan Benoit Samuelson, were both impressive in the USA Track and Field Masters Indoor Championships at the Reggie Lewis Center)

    Two distance-running icons proved age has yet to catch up to them.

    Marathon legends Bill Rodgers and Joan Benoit Samuelson, both  returning to competitive indoor racing, ran the 3,000 meters in their debuts at the USA Track & Field Masters Indoor Championships at the Reggie Lewis Center yesterday. Benoit Samuelson, 45, plagued in recent years by chronic soreness in her left Achilles' tendon, shook off the pain to cruise to a time of 10 minutes 2.55 seconds in the 3,000, good for first place and a US indoor record for her age group (45-49). The previous record was 11:06.77 (Joni Shirley).

    Rodgers, 55, making just his second appearance in the 3,000 meters,  finished third (10:03.57), 13 seconds behind winner Harold Nolan of New York.

    "I think the last time [I ran the 3,000] was when I was 15 or 16 years old," said Rodgers, a four-time winner of the Boston and New York marathons. "I didn't really have a plan going in. The 3,000 for me is intense and a good aerobic workout."

    Competing for the first time in 20 years on the indoor circuit, Benoit Samuelson said she found it hard to pass up the chance to make her Masters debut in Boston.

    "I found it very intriguing to be able to run a national championship meet in Boston," said the 1984 Olympic gold medalist and current US marathon record-holder (2:21.21). "This is where my career was launched and it was nice to come back here."

    Benoit Samuelson said she was considering running one last Boston Marathon before she turns 50, however, she said, because of the pain in her heels, it would be very difficult to finish.

    Benoit Samuelson had multiple surgeries on each heel in the 1980s.

    "I felt very strong and I think all the skiing I did this winter helped me with my strength," she said. "I feel great right now but I may regret it tomorrow morning."

    Rodgers and Benoit Samuelson said they drew inspiration from the rest of the competitors.

    "These people have a lot of courage," said Rodgers. At 101 years old, Ohio's Everett Hosack (shot put, weight throw) is the meet's oldest competitor. "It's great to come out here and see people of all ages competing in track and field."

    For Rodgers, it wasn't a matter of winning or losing. He was just happy to be running in a city where he has had success.

    Former NFL players Willie Gault (hurdles, sprints) and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson (60-meter dash, long jump) will also compete this weekend. Events today and tomorrow begin at 10:30 a.m.

MASTERS TRACK
JUST LIKE OLD TIMES; SAMUELSON SETS AMERICAN MARK
by Joe Reardon, Boston Herald
Saturday, March 29, 2003
(PHOTO captioned: MASTERFUL EFFORTS: Joan Benoit Samuelson sets an American record to win the women's 3,000 meters yesterday at the USA Masters Indoor Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, while Bill Rodgers takes third in the men's 3,000. Staff photos by Mark Garfinkel)

    Joan Samuelson's nagging Achilles tendon problem has lasted as long as her hiatus from the tight turns of indoor track racing.  Neither, though, caused the 1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist so much as a twitch in the opening day of the National Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships yesterday at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center.

    Samuelson, two-time Boston Marathon winner and American record- holder at 26.2 miles (2:21:21), made the 45-49 division of the 3,000- meter race a one-woman show. With just 2 1/2 track workouts in the last two weeks leading up to the meet, Samuelson still shattered the national mark by more than a minute in 10 minutes, 2.55 seconds. Runner-up Marge Bellisle, 47, of Warren, R.I., also finished well ahead of Joni Shirley's 1992 record of 11:06.77 with her 10:34.77.

    Samuelson's mark was just one highlight in first-day action in which four world records and a slew of American marks were set.

    Samuelson, two-time Boston Marathon winner and American record- holder at 26.2 miles (2:21:21), made the 45-49 division of the 3,000- meter race a one-woman show. With just 2 1/2 track workouts in the last two weeks leading up to the meet, Samuelson still shattered the national mark by more than a minute in 10 minutes, 2.55 seconds. Runner-up Marge Bellisle, 47, of Warren, R.I., also finished well ahead of Joni Shirley's 1992 record of 11:06.77 with her 10:34.77.

    "I would have loved to break 10 minutes but I'm happy with that," Samuelson, 45, said with a smile.

    A longtime fan favorite since her first Boston Marathon win in 1979 as a 19-year-old Bowdoin College senior, Samuelson was a bit leery about racing a hard 3,000 indoors. Twice during her illustrious career the Freeport, Maine, resident has undergone surgery on both Achilles.

    To this day, her Achilles hurt after long car rides.

    "The first 10 steps aren't pretty," Samuelson said, then added with a laugh, "I look like I should be walking with a cane."

    The harsh Maine winter wasn't enough to keep Samuelson from maintaining a high level of fitness. She did more cross-country skiing than usual over the colder months and she said it attributed to her overall strength.

    "I felt really strong tonight," Samuelson said. "I didn't feel too quick though."

    Bill Rodgers' last encounter with an indoor 3,000 was even longer than Samuelson's.

    Not since he was a 15-year-old high school runner - years before he piled up four wins in both the Boston and New York City marathons and almost single-handedly started the "running boom" of the early 1980s - had Rodgers raced the distance.

    The 55-year-old Peter Pan of American distance running showed just how much of a gamer he is, racing to a solid third-place finish in the 55-59 division in 10:03.57. Harold Nolan, 56, of Navesink, N.J., took the national title in 9:50.86.

    "This is a blast, I have to come back," said Rodgers, who still owns the American records for 25 and 30 kilometers, as well as a slew of age-group road-racing marks.

    "I don't run as much, but well enough to compete," he said. "Tonight I aged about five years. Track is a tough, tough sport. I said if Joanie will do it, I'll try it. The 3,000 for me is very intense and anaerobic."

    Rodgers was thoroughly impressed with the Reggie Lewis facility and track. "This is what track needs in Boston," he said.

    Phil Raschker of Marietta, Ga., broke her own world best in the 55-59 pentathlon with 4,822 points. The 56-year-old Raschker set a world record of 9.84 in the 60-meter hurdles and an American record of 4 feet, 9 1/2 inches in the high jump.

    Lenore McDaniels set a world's 75-79 age-group best of 5-7 1/2 in the pole vault and 66-year-old Evelyn Wright broke the 65-70 high jump world record with a 4-2 1/4 leap.

U.S. MASTERS;
AGE PROVES NO SWEAT; RESULTS STILL IMPRESSIVE
by Vincent Pullia, Boston Herald
Monday, March 31, 2003
(PHOTO:captioned:  1-800-RUNNING: Catherine Stone-Borkowski rounds the track on her way to winning the 800-meter event at the National Masters Indoors yesterday at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. HERALD PHOTO BY JESSICA RINALDI)

    ABSTRACT:  Another highlight of the day was the very first national title for up-and-coming Masters competitor Catherine Stone-Borkowski. Stone-Borkowski, a 41-year-old native of Ringwood, N.J., won the 800 for the 40-44 division in 2:23.16. She wasn't satisfied with her time, but was pleased to win the event.

    "Catherine is the Anna Kournikova of Masters track," Bob Weiner, media coordinator for the meet, said of Stone-Borkowski. "The only difference is Catherine wins."

    "Wow," one of them said. "I wish I could run like that."

     The balding, skinny man on the track gracefully finished his race in the 60-64 age group and the kid that didn't look a day older than 20 shook his head with disbelief.

     If there was one thing proven during the final day of the National Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships, it was that age is just a state of mind.

    Perhaps the biggest highlight of the day came from 52-year-old sprinter Bill Collins. Collins, a resident of Mt. Vernon, N.Y., who currently posseses a combined 11 world and American Masters records, became the first man in the 50-54 age group to break 23 seconds in the 200 meters with an impressive 22.99.

    "We all have to defy age. I may not be able to run as fast as I used to, but I can still do it. Hopefully, 49 years from now I can be 101 years old and still competing here," Collins said, referring to 101-year-old Everett Hosack, who competed earlier in the weekend. "I may be crawling then, but I'll still be here."

    Another highlight of the day was the very first national title for up-and-coming Masters competitor Catherine Stone-Borkowski. Stone-Borkowski, a 41-year-old native of Ringwood, N.J., won the 800 for the 40-44 division in 2:23.16. She wasn't satisfied with her time, but was pleased to win the event.

    "I took 10 years off and I didn't think I'd be able to get it back, but I got bit by the bug. I still get nervous before my workouts on the track," the former Arkansas Razorback said. "Running now is good for me. It calms me down. I'm very hyper."

    "Catherine is the Anna Kournikova of Masters track," Bob Weiner, media coordinator for the meet, said of Stone-Borkowski. "The only difference is Catherine wins."

    Named Outstanding Female Athlete of the meet for her two pentathlon world records set Friday (9.84 in the 60-meter hurdles and 4,822 total points), 56-year-old Phil Raschker of Marietta, Ga., said lessons in running carry through to everyday life activities.

    "Some years ago, I retired. I had just lost the incentive. Yet, I noticed I didn't have the energy I used to and I wasn't comfortable with my looks so I started up again," the former Revere resident and owner of 40 world records in various Masters divisions acknowledged. "It's a reason to get out of bed in the morning and it's a good vehicle to stay fit and disciplined."

    Raschker said she was most proud of being named to the first American women's pole vault squad on the 1995 national track and field team. She was 48 and competed on the same team with such young stars as Olympic gold medalist Stacy Dragila.

    "It was like my birthday, Christmas and New Year's all in one," she said.

    In the men's 50-54 age group, Nolan Shaheed of Pasadena, Calif., sprinted to victory in the 800 meters in 2:05.23. Shaheed, a trumpet player and former music director for such acts as Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross, proved running helps him in a multitude of ways.

    "I'm a musician, man. Running keeps me limber. This is all about the quest for longevity. I don't want to die poor, old and broke in some rest home. I feel great when I compete," he said.

    Distance runner Harry Nolan, 56, of Navesink, N.J., finished off a stellar weekend with a second-place finish in the 55-59 age group in the 800. Nolan defeated local legend Bill Rodgers Friday in the 3,000 with a winning time of 9:50.86 and on Saturday won the mile in 4:58.98.

    "I still love the competition," Nolan said. "It's fun to race with people my age. Honestly though, beating people younger then me is much more fun."

    George Mathews, 59, of Carlsbad, Calif., is not only the USATF Masters Chairman, he's also a competitor in the hammer throw.

    "I'm still competing now against the same people I did back in college. This is great," he said. "In life, people need a passion to go along with some fitness and longevity. We live in a spectator nation and it's nice to see people at any age compete. This is a lifetime sport."

    Grace Butcher, a 69-year-old distance runner from Chardon, Ohio, admitted there were a few slight problems with running at her age.

    "The older I get, I have fewer training partners. But I'll never stop. When I was younger I had such a skinny body - I knew I'd never make it in Playboy, so I started running," she joked. "To this day when I run I feel beautiful - exactly the same as 40 years ago."

Track:
HOSACK KEEPS RUNNING AT 101
by Matt Kalman, Boston Herald
Saturday, March 30, 2003
(PHOTO captioned: OLD COLLEGE TRY: Everett Hosack strains under the weight throw Friday in the U.S. Masters Indoor Track Championships. Staff photo by Mark Garfinkel)

    Abstract:  The oldest competitor at the U.S. Masters Indoor Track Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, [Everett Hosack] competed in  the shot put and 60-meter dash yesterday after posting a distance of 4.71 meters in the weight throw during Friday's competition. Hosack enjoyed a pleasant experience in the shot put with a throw of 11 feet, 3 inches, but didn't match the 12-3 toss he produced at a recent meet.

    The type of successful career Hosack has enjoyed depends on more than equilibrium. Hosack's first track career ended at the start of the Great Depression when the railroad company decided to discontinue funding his team. He worked for New York Central for 40 years, all the while keeping up with his light exercise.

    Nearly 50 years after he dabbled in track and field at the University of Florida and later as a member of New York Central Railroad's club team, Everett Hosack decided to get back into sports.

    Twenty years have passed in his second career and the resident of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, doesn't plan on quitting anytime soon.

    "I think I'm very fortunate," the 101-year-old Hosack said. "I thank God everyday for the ability I still have. I'm truly blessed. I hope I die on the track."

    The oldest competitor at the U.S. Masters Indoor Track Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, Hosack competed in the shot put and 60-meter dash yesterday after posting a distance of  4.71 meters in the weight throw during Friday's competition. Hosack enjoyed a pleasant experience in the shot put with a throw of 11 feet, 3 inches, but didn't match the 12-3 toss he produced at a recent meet.

     "I don't know (why I lost a foot)," Hosack said. "It all depends on your equilibrium."

    The type of successful career Hosack has enjoyed depends on more than equilibrium. Hosack's first track career ended at the start of the Great Depression when the railroad company decided to discontinue funding his team. He worked for New York Central for 40 years, all the while keeping up with his light exercise.

    Hosack soon bought a farm with 300 pine trees and cut a track into the land, allowing him space to keep up with his roadwork. At the age of 77, Hosack found himself competing again, this time as part of an Over The Hill Track Club. In the 24 years since, he's set world records in the 60, 200, high jump and shot put for the 95-and- over age group and now the 100-and-over classification.

    Continuing his track career became a little more difficult last fall when Hosack's wife of 67 years, Elsa, died on Thanksgiving Day at the age of 92.

    "I really miss her," said Hosack, who has a son and daughter and two grandchildren. "She was such a good organizer in her later years. We're all foolish when we're young, but in our later years she really did well."

    Without his long-time companion and biggest supporter, Hosack has taken to motivating other athletes.

    "People just tell me I'm an inspiration . . . I hope I am," Hosack said. "Even the young kids say that I'm an inspiration."

    Grace Butcher, 69, lives in Chardon, not too far from Hosack, and she's known the 6-foot, 150-pound elderly athlete for three years.

    "I'm very moved by (him)," Butcher said. "I would like to make it to 120 and I hope there's an age group for me by the time I get up there. He's a little tottery, he wobbles a little bit, but he gets it done."

    And wherever there are young athletes to motivate, Hosack will continue to get it done.

TRACK AND FIELD
by Ken Stone, The San Diego Union Tribune
Saturday, March 29, 2003

    Joan Benoit Samuelson, 45, the 1984 Olympic women's marathon champion, set an American age-group record by winning the 3,000 meters at the USATF national masters indoor championships in Boston. Samuelson's 10:02.55 beat the previous record of 11:06.77 set by San Diego's Joni Shirley in 1992. Four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers, 55, was third in the men's 55-59 3,000 meters with a time of 10:03.57, behind Harold Nolan, 56, who won in 9:50.86. Terry Cannon, 65, of San Diego won the pole vault in his age group with a jump of 9 feet, 61/4 inches. Everett Hosack, 101, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, won the weight throw, becoming the oldest entrant ever at a U.S. national track championships.

RODGERS AND SAMUELSON STILL SPARKLE
by Steve Nearman, The Washington Times
Sunday, March 30, 2003

    It would have been fascinating to pit Joan Benoit Samuelson against Bill Rodgers in the same race Friday night at the USA Track & Field Masters Indoor Championships in Boston.

    Maybe Bill could have pushed Joanie under 10 minutes for 3,000 meters.

    The masters movement continues to succeed in bringing big-time professional athletes to its events. The presence of Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic Marathon gold medalist, and Rodgers, a four-time Boston and New York City marathon victor, showcases some of the best our sport has to offer.

    Rodgers, 55, was third in the men's 55-59 age group in 10:03.57. Samuelson, 45, won the women's 45-49 age group in 10:02.50. That translates into a 5:20 mile pace for nearly two miles.

    The fact that Samuelson slashed more than a minute off the age group record, some 11 years on the books, is fairly unimportant. The fact that she significantly outran every other woman entered, from 30 to 67, is a testament to Samuelson's enduring athletic supremacy.

    This is the same Samuelson (known then as Joan Benoit) who won her first of two Boston Marathons in 1979 and still holds the American women's marathon record with a 2:21:21 at Chicago in 1985.

    "This was my first indoor track race in 20 years, so I felt like a duck out of water," Samuelson said. "I was intrigued by this meet because it's a national championship. [Boston] is where I launched my career, but I'm not ready to end my career just yet."

    Fastest duck I've ever seen on two feet.

    Look for her about this time next year in the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials — and not as a spectator or commentator either.

    And look for the ever-popular Rodgers here at next weekend's Cherry Blossom 10-Mile festivities. He'll be out there running, too, a day after signing autographs at an Expo session Saturday.

*** TV COVERAGE OF NATIONAL MASTERS TRACK & FIELD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Selected Stories 03/28 to 03/30

1. NewsCenter 5 Tonight
WCVB-TV CH 5 Boston
03/28/2003 11:00 - 11:35 pm
[Derived from Captioning] At the National Masters Track Championships being held in Boston, Joan Benoit Samuelson breaks the U.S. Record for women over 45 years old in the 3,000 meters. And four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers finished third in the men`s 55 and over. Benoit`s time was a second faster than Rodgers'. Benoit and Bill will host the Boston Marathon on Monday the 21st of April.  Coverage begins with the warmup and continues until most everybody is anyone is finished.

2. Channel 8 News At Eleven
WMTW-TV CH 8 03/28/2003 11:00 - 11:35 pm
[Derived from Captioning] 21.20 In sports, another historic performance for Joan Benoit Samuelson…coming up…

3. Channel 8 News at Eleven
WMTW-TV
[Derived from Captioning] 24.25 Another historic run for Joan Benoit Samuelson. She shattered an American record by a full minute this afternoon at the U.S. Masters Track Championships in Boston. Joanie ran the the 3000 meter event in 10:02.55 The old record for 45 years old and over was 11:06. This was her first indoor event in over 20 years - she usually skips these (for road races and marathons).

4. Channel 8 News At Six
WMTW-TV CH 8
03/28/2003 6:00 - 6:30 pm
In sports, Joan Benoit Samuelson continues to make history at National Masters Track. Up next…18.30

5. Channel 8 News at Six
WMTW-TV Channel 8
[Derived from Captioning] 18.30 Norm Karkos is next. Norm: Another historic run for Joan Benoit Samuelson. She shattered an American record by a full minute this afternoon at the U.S.Masters Track Championships in Boston. Joanie ran the the 3000 meter event in 10:02.55 The old record for 45 years old and over was 11:06. She received a thunderous ovation from the crowd at the Reggie Lewis Track Center. We are hoping to bring you highlights later this evening. 21.55

RODGERS, BENOIT TO RUN IN MASTERS
by Reid Laymance, The Boston Globe Staff
Friday, March 14, 2003, Page D12

      Bill Rodgers and Joan Benoit Samuelson, two former Boston Marathon champs, are running in Boston again, only this time they will be competing in the US Track and Field Masters Indoor Championships.

      The two are part of a field that will be officially unveiled today for the three-day meet (March 28-30) at the Reggie Lewis Center.

      Rodgers, 55, and Samuelson, 45, will compete in the 3,000 meters, which will be held March 28. This is the first time that either has competed in the national masters event.

        Rodgers won his first Boston in 1975 in a then-record time of 2 hours 9 minutes 55 seconds. He won three in a row from 1978-80, lowering the record to 2:09:27 in 1979. That record stood for two years.

       Samuelson won her first Boston title in 1979 and repeated in 1983. Her 1983 time of 2:22:43 was the record for 11 years. She won the first Olympic marathon in 1984 in Los Angeles.

      Willie Gault, the former NFL star and hurdles champion, will be in the field and compete in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash. Locally, Essex's Roger Pierce, the defending world champion in the 55-year-old 400 meters, will compete.

      The National Masters meet draws a field of nearly 1,000 who compete in age-group competition from 30s to 80s.

BEST BET (lead of What's happening/Places to Go items)
March 28, 2003
(PHOTO captioned: BILL RODGERS)

    Bill Rodgers, winner of four Boston Marathons and four New York City Marathons, joins hurdles champion/ex-Chicago Bears star Willie Gault, world sprint record-holder Larry Colbert, and other top athletes at the USA Track & Field Masters Indoor Championships this weekend at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston.

    Events begin today at 4 p.m., tomorrow and Sunday at 10:30.

OLYMPIC SCENE
by Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times
Friday, March 21, 2003

    BLASTS FROM THE PAST:

    Bill Rodgers and Joan Benoit Samuelson have entered the USA Track and Field Masters Indoor Championships next weekend in Boston.

    Rodgers, a four-time winner of both the Boston and New York City marathons, is 55. Samuelson, the U.S. women's marathon record holder and the first women's Olympic marathon champion, is 45. Both will run the 3,000 meters.

    Also competing at the meet are Willie Gault, 42, in the 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles and 200 meters, and former NFL player Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, 51, in the 60-meter dash and long jump.

    (Story in numerous other newspapers via L.A. Times Wire)

SPORTS
AGELESS WONDERS
by Steve Nearman, The Washington Times
Sunday, March 16, 2003
 

        Masters track will get an extra boost from three world-class athletes who have entered the USATF National Masters Indoors Championships in Boston from March 28 to 30.

    Marathon great Bill Rodgers, 55, is entered in the M55 3,000-meter run, and Joan Samuelson may compete in the W45 3,000-meter run.

    "I haven't been on a track since the mid-'80s," said Samuelson, still sore from her workout the day before. "Probably I'll do it. Who's running in the W45? There's got to be some good competition there. What's the record? It won't be pretty, and it won't be fast."

    Fast? Leave that to former NFL player and Tennessee football/track star Willie Gault, who at 42 should dominate the 60 meters, 60 hurdles and 200 meters.

SPORTS IN BRIEF
by Boston Herald staff
Saturday, March 15, 2003

    Four-time Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers will be one of many track legends competing at U.S.A. Track & Field Master Indoor Championships at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston from March 28-30.
 

     (Boston, MA) -- 1984 Olympic Marathon Champion Joan Benoit Samuelson obliterated the women's 45-and-over 3000-meter record by more than a minute at the US Masters National Track and Field Championships in Boston on Friday night, March 28, while four-time Boston Marathon Champion Bill Rodgers wowed the enthusiastic crowd by competing and finishing third in the men's 55+ race.

    Benoit Samuelson ran 10:02.55, besting the old record of 11:06.77 set by Joni Shirley of California in 1992.  She told a news conference following the race, "I launched my career in Boston but it's not where I want to end it." She said she'd be back for future masters championships. "45 used to be old, but it's not any more," she added.

    After completing his race, Rodgers said, "This is fun."  "I'm a fan of the sport," a spectator came up to him and said, "I saw you on Heartbreak Hill in '79."

    Harry Brooks, starter of both the Rodgers and Benoit races, said, "This is what makes our sport worthwhile.  Athletes were on the track with two of the greatest in history.  No other sport but running makes that possible."

   Steve Vaitones, meet director, and Gary Snyder, president of USATF-NE hosting the meet, expressed "excitement that Rodgers and Benoit bring attention to the sport and its mission -- lifetime physical fitness and health."

    "This is about busting age discrimination in sports," said Bob Weiner, public affairs director for the meet, who recruited Benoit and Rodgers.  "People are used to seeing young strapping athletes.  Now they can see older strapping athletes, and there are a lot more people like that."  Weiner served for five years as Chief of Staff of the House Aging Committee under the late, great Claude Pepper.

    In the women's 45+ 3000-meter race, Marge Bellisle of Warren RI was second in 10:34.77,  also under the old record, and Mary Diver of New York City was third in 13:00.87.

    In the men's 55+ 3000, Harold Nolan of Navesink NJ was first in 9:50.86, Colin McArdle of Brookline MA was second in 10:00.51,  and Rodgers, from Sherborn MA was third in 10:03.57.

    At an athletes' news conference, 101-year-old Everett Hosack of Chagrin Falls OH, the oldest athlete in the history of official USA Track and Field, participated.  He will be in the 60-meter, weight throw, and shot put.

    800 athletes from the 30's to over 100 from around the country are in the meet.  The meet continues Saturday and Sunday at Reggie Lewis Track at Roxbury Community College in Boston.

   Laurie DeWitt/The Gazette
     (Boston, MA) - Four-time Boston and four-time New York Marathon Champion Bill Rodgers, perhaps the prime inspiration of the current running movement, and Joan Benoit Samuelson, the first Olympic Women's Marathon Champion (1984) and still American record holder, join hurdles champion/ex-NFL-Chicago Bears star Willie Gault, world sprint record holder Larry Colbert, and many other world's best ever track and field athletes competing at the U.S.A. Track & Field Masters Indoor Championships in Boston Friday-Sunday, March 28-30.

     "Nearly 1000 athletes from 30's to 100's from across the USA will compete in the meet," said Steve Vaitones, Meet Director and managing director of the USA Track & Field-New England, hosting the meet. "This meet and National Masters running sends a message of competitive fitness for an entire lifetime. Incidentally, the track is recognized as lightning-fast and top quality, conducive to world and national records."

    Gault, former NFL-Chicago Bears wide receiver, and former world championship hurdler and relay world record holder, now 42, will compete in the 60-meter dash (Finals Saturday 10:30 AM) and hurdles (Finals 5 PM Saturday) and the 200-meter dash (Finals Noon Sunday).

    USA Track and Field Masters chose Colbert, 66, a Glenarden, Maryland high school teacher and coach, the Outstanding Male Athlete for 2002.  He holds the 65+ world record in the 200 and 400 meters and will compete in the 60-meter dash (Saturday 10:30 AM), 200 (Noon Sunday), and 400 (Finals Saturday 2PM).

    Other stars competing include Sunder Nix, 1984 Olympic 4x400 relay gold medalist; hurdle record holder Barbara Jordan, 67, from South Burlington, VT; 10-time Irish Decathlon champ Val McGann, 75; NFL star Billy "White Shoes" Johnson of Atlanta, 51, in the 60-dash and long jump; Catherine Stone-Borkowski, a rising star in the W400; and Roger Pierce of Essex MA, reigning world 55+ 400-meter champion.

    Typical of high-powered competitions will be the M50 400 Meters, where two world champions and world record holders, Billy Collins and Ed Gonera, face off.  60-year old Steve Robbins, Ph.D., of Seattle, WA, a renowned organizational psychologist and world champion 60+ sprinter, will seek records in the 60 and 200.

    Male registered competitors range in age to Everett Hosack, 101, of Chagrin Falls OH, in the 60, shot put, and weight throw;  The 80+ men include Dudley Healey, 88, in the 800, mile, and 3000, and Bob Matteson, 87, who has two pending world records in the 85+ 400 meters.  Females include Betty Jarvis, 87, in the weight throw and shot put.
 

    *** NOTE: Media are invited for coverage and athlete interviews.  For more information or interviews, please call Bob Weiner at 301-283-0821 or cell 202-329-1700, or locate Bob trackside.  Media credentials are required.  More schedule information, participant list, and meet specifics are available on web at: http://www.usatfne.org/masters/boston2003/

Reasons to run in Boston
By John Stifler, Daily Hampshire Gazette, Northampton, Massachusetts

    Wednesday, April 2, 2003 -- Bob Weiner moved from Amherst to Washington a long time ago, but veteran Valley runners still remember Bob's natural gifts as a promoter. Whatever the running event might be, and whatever you already knew about it, Bob could give you several more reasons besides the ones you'd already thought of, for why it was going to be exciting and why you should be there yourself.

    People who followed the National Masters Indoor Track Championships last weekend in Boston are aware that Bob's talents are still viable. Besides hyping the event to every newspaper, magazine and television station in the region, Weiner ensured the media's interest by persuading a couple of his longtime running acquaintances to participate in one of the races.

    Those acquaintances being Joan Benoit-Samuelson and Bill Rodgers.

    Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic Marathon champion and still holder of the U.S. marathon best time for women, hadn't run a serious indoor track race in some 20 years, but she said the opportunity to compete in Boston was enough inducement. Running the 3,000 meters on the very
fast Reggie Lewis track last Friday, she induced herself to a time of 10 minutes, 2.5 seconds, a new world record for women 45 and older.

    The previous record for this age group was 11:06.8, set by Californian Joni Shirley in 1992.

    Samuelson, who lives in Maine and is an alumna of Bowdoin, has a tongue-in-cheek, love-hate relationship with Boston. Commenting on Boston traffic, she once said, "Drive in Boston with Maine license plates and they figure you're a pushover. You don't have a chance."

    Rodgers, at 55 and still probably the most popular Boston Marathon champion since Clarence DeMar, enjoys a reputation for being willing to run almost anything, anytime, at almost any pace. Entering the 3,000 not to break records but to help publicize the masters competition,
he finished third in his age group in 10:03.6. (Yep, Joanie beat his time. But she's younger.) Harold Nolan of New Jersey won in 9:51.0, Colin McArdle of Brookline was second in 10:00.51.

    Roughly 800 athletes, ranging in age from 30-something to 101-year-old Everett Hosack of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, competed. Hosack's events were the 60-meter dash, the weight throw and the shot put. Amherst Regional High School alumnus Jon Waldron won the mile for men in the
45-49-year age bracket.

• Start of the Women's 3000m (40-45). Joan Benoit Samuelson is in outside lane.
• Joan Benoit en route to her age group American record.
• Marathon great Bill Rodgers, age 55, competed in the men's 3000m.
• Bill Rodgers can still move, though not fast enough to catch race winner Harold Nolan of New Jersey. Rodgers placed 3rd.
• Joan Benoit Samuelson with friend and fan, Annie Cornell, after the race.
• Lloyd Slocum of Portland, Maine set an American > record of 11:09.53 in the men's 70-75 3000m. race.
• The meet's oldest athlete, 101-year-old Everett Hosack of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, competed in the shot put and weight throw.
• Among the meet's elite competitors were (L-R):

Willie Gault -- sprinter and former olympian and NFL receiver
Everett Hosack -- at 101, track & field's oldest competitor
Bill Rodgers -- 4-time Boston Marathon winner
Joan Benoit Samuelson -- 2-time Boston Marathon winner and Olympic gold medalist set a U.S. record in the women's 40-45 3000m.
Bruce McBarnette -- Princeton graduate, businessman, attorney, actor and athlete, he set an age-group world record in the men's high jump
• Media director, Bob Weiner, congratulates Rodgers and Samuelson. To their left are race starter Harry Brooks and high jumper Bruce McBarnette.