Masters Athletics

Masters athletes, Sunette Viljoen (32),  Chris Harmse (43), Adri Schoeman (44), Yolande van Aswegen (33), Tanya Treurnicht (31) and Marlize Coetzee (39) excelled in their respective events at the recent S.A. Championships in Stellenbosch. As expected Sunette and Chris won their javelin and hammerthrow events respectively.  Sunette is currently one of the top javelin throwers in the world, and has qualified to compete at the World Championships in China in August. Chris Harmse, S.A. record holder won his 20th open title with a heave of 71.98, and will be attempting to qualify for the World Championships in the remaining 2 track and field meetings - 9th May - S.A. Open and 15 & 16 May - S.A. Masters. Adri Schoeman (past Olympian), who entered as an individual entry for province, progressed to the semi-finals in the   100m with a time of 12,38 (into strong headwind). In the 200m heats she ran 24,25 which bettered her own S.A. Masters record (W40-44) ...

MASTERS ATHLETES IN SOUTH AFRICA MOVE INTO TOP GEAR FOR NATIONALS With only the national championships remaining, masters athletes in South Africa are moving into top gear over the next few weeks leading up to the S.A. Masters championships in May and then finally for those who will be participating in the World Masters Athletics Championships in August in Lyon, France. https://www.lyon2015.com/en Shaun Bownes (44) showed good form at the CGA masters championships when he won the 110m hurdles M40-44 comfortably in a time of 14.49.  Last year he won the World Masters Indoors title over 60m hurdles in Budapest.  At this stage its unknown if he will be participating in Lyon, as athletes have until 4 June to register. South African sprinters  have especially come to the fore at various masters provincial championships held over the past few months and the sparks could fly at the nationals.   The increased interest in masters athletics could also be...

Award of HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP of Randburg Harriers: DEIRDRE LARKIN Deirdre Larkin has been a member of Randburg Harriers for just a few years, joining up in 2010 at the age of 78 years. This is not surprising, because this amazing athlete only began her running career in 2009! Deirdre's road-running accomplishments in a short career spanning just four years have been nothing short of remarkable. South Africa's most famous "galloping granny" was Mavis Hutchinson, but Deirdre is following in her footsteps – literally! These achievements have been making news in many places, and a picture of Deirdre in her Randburg Harriers running gear adorned the December 2012 cover of Modern Athlete. Deirdre's story is well documented, from the Modern Athlete article to a recent interview with Brad Brown on RunTalkSA, all the way to an obscure but beautifully-written article by Leo Benning in the Hermanus-based Whalers Athletic Club newsletter of August 2012. Leo ...

JOHANNESBURG, CITY OF GOLD, (SOUTH AFRICA)   A WORLD CLASS AFRICAN CITY   to bid for the hosting of the World Masters Athletics Championships in 2018 or 2020.  The city has the infrastructure – stadiums, transport, and accommodation to host the championships which takes place over a fortnight.   The first World Masters Athletics Championships took place in 1975, and since then have been held every 2 nd  year.    The number of participants are only second to the Olympic Games and have in the past ranged from 3000 – 7000 athletes coming from approx. 90 countries, representing all walks of life – from the social athlete to the highly competitive.    These championships give athletes the opportunity to meet like-minded athletes from all over the world and rub shoulders with past Olympians.    Track and Field events for masters consist of all the usual Olympic track and field events. Women also pa...

South Africa boasts a huge talent of middle distance runners, especially in the 800m.   Masters athletes have been no exception.   The next World Masters Athletics Championships will be held in Lyon, France in August 2015 and masters athletes all over the country have set their sights on an experience of a lifetime. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkrPT8-koetI4F2sXHQ5r_Q _

Vying to be the next  Ed Burke  (throwing hammer records into his 70s), Olympian  Jud Logan  set an M55 world record Sunday in an Ashland Masters Series meet in Ohio. YouTube video shows him smashing the listed HT record of 63.70 (208-11 3/4) several times, topped by a monster 67.27 (220-8 1/4). Haven’t seen results posted. But the USATF calendar shows  it to be a sanctioned event — with Jud himself as the meet contact. No surprise on the WR, though. Jud set the M50 WR of 71.71 in 2009. The listed M55 WR was by Austria’s  Hans Pötsch.   Chuck Greene  reports: “Jud celebrated his entry into the 55-59 bracket with a World-Record hammer throw in excess of 67 meters! The event (and performance) was highly anticipated. On hand for the festivities were USATF officials  Jim  and  Kathy Whettenhall ; they brought along two steel tapes!” http://masterstrack.com/2014/09/32037/

  Two World Records in Day 2 of the OMA Championships June 28, 2014  OMA (V)P   W60 Karla Del Grande   ran 13.66 in the 100m at the first day of the track events at the Ontario Masters Championships at Varsity Stadium in Toronto. She beat the existing W60 World Record of 13.75 held by Ingrid Meier GER set in 2008.    he then ran 65.95 in the 400m – breaking her own WR of 66.24 set last year at the Worlds in Brazil.     Two more World Records at Day 3 of the Championships June 29, 2014  W80 Alice Cole , a guest from Montreal, ran 3:43.62 in the 800m – breaking the WR of 3:45.00 held by a Russian athlete, set in 2005 at the Worlds in Donostia, Spain. M85 Earl Fee   ran the 800m in 3:15.15 – breaking the WR of 3:17.45 held by a Brazilian, set last year.