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MASTERS ATHLETICS SPRING 2014.
sixties to the end of the eighties and a number of possible The following week during the BMAF Pentathlon on Sunday
reasons given for the subsequent decline. Chapter 9, 'The the 16th at Lee Valley Greg established new World’s best
sport changes' is perhaps the key to the whole book, figures in the Pentathlon with 4231 points, and added a
describing the rise of the big city road races and the European Record in the 60 Hurdles of 8.48 during that event.
complete submergence of the sport of road running in its The time was just 1/100th outside of the World Record, so
pure form. watch this space.
The last chapter, appropriately, is on ageing, a process that Julia Machin and John Mayor also set British bests of 4320
has done for the author but not necessarily for the sport as a and 3941 points.
whole. The postscript, 'What now?' offers a way to revive the
National sport of distance running to the level it achieved During the meeting which also involved the South of England
during its glory days. Veterans Championships, Clare Elms set a massive W50
800m World Record of 2:21.09.
The book is available from the author: 4 Belvoir View Park,
Belfast, BT8 7BL e-mail: eoxlade@btopenworld.com Tel: On the same day during the internationally regarded
02890640804 £9.99 plus £2.90 p&p (cheque or PayPal). “Birmingham Games”, which involved many International
Athletes trying to register performances to qualify for the
Edwin Oxlade IAAF World Indoor. New M35 Rick Beardsall achieved the
first Indoor sub 50 secords, with a new British Record of
49.20. Some of these performances were improved at the
British and World Masters Championships.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
ARTHUR KIMBER
This book tells the story of Arthur’s life in Running, and I concluded my report in the autumn 2013 issue of Masters
contains his thoughts on the sport, getting older and slower. Athletics with the words ‘with a hope for a more clement
winter than we have had in recent years’. Oops!
Copies from Arthur, 21, Thornfield Road, Heaton Moor,
Stockport, Cheshire, SK4 3LD. The price of the book is £5 The winter has been notable for a plethora of world and
(cheques to A.J.G. Walsham) proceeds will be donated to British indoor records in the BMAF Indoor Pentathlon and
“Parkinson’s UK”. South of England Championships, the EAMA Indoor Inter
area Challenge and the BMAF Indoor Championships.
Well as we move more into 2014 the Record’s again start to
tumble, which is incredible when you consider that Eight world and six British records were broken. W50 Claire
December, January and February have been the wettest in Elms stands out with two world records, 800m. in 2:21.09
history. and 1500m. in 4:37.14, with W80 Rosemary Chrimes setting
another two in the shot, 7.58, and high jump, 1.09. Four
Greg Dunson started his haul on 8th of February with British others gained one apiece, W60 Caroline Powell, a 68.21
Records set at Birmingham, National Indoor Arena during the 400m, W45 Irie Hill, a 3.52 pole vault, M50 Greg Dunson a
first day of the Midlands Championship. 4231 pentathlon and M65 Ian Richards, a 14:29.60 3000
Walk. Ian followed that morning performance with a bronze
The just turned 50 year old set bests of 6.09 in the Long medal in the afternoon in the RWA 10 Mile Championship,
Jump and followed with 1.80 in the High Jump. where he was competing against seniors and masters up to
30 years younger than him.
M65 Pete Molloy set three British records, 800m. in 2:24.48,
1500m. in 4;47.50 and 3000m. in 10:20.10, and the three
others came from M60 Dave Wilcock a 2:15.31 800m, M65
Neil Griffin a 13.09 shot and W50 Caroline Garratt a 37.54
javelin throw.
I am writing this a few days before setting off for Budapest
and I am looking forward to seeing more records and a good
haul of medals from British athletes.
Apart from indoor track and field, it has been a busy winter
for cross country athletes, road runners and race walkers,
with three fixtures, fortunately before the worst of the
weather set in, the excellently organised, by Welsh Masters
in Cardiff, British and Irish Masters International Cross
Country, the BMAF Cross Country Relays and the BMAF
20k. Race Walking Championship, followed this year by the
BMAF 10 Mile Championship in Cumbria and the BMAF
Cross Country Championships in Glasgow.
I wish you all an enjoyable and successful summer without
making any comment about the weather.
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