No more snow
The beastly weather is about to fade into
memory, and as the glorious spring days roll in,
so do our outdoor racewalking events.
Year 3 of the popular series of developmental
5-kilometer races will begin in Danehy Park in
Cambridge, MA., on Sunday, April 8. The monthly
races are judged but no one is disqualified; the
judges offer encouragement and useful advice.
Further details are in our race calendar.
Another popular event, the Clamdigger 5-mile
road race, will be held Sunday, April 22 in
Westerly, RI. An entry form is on the back page
of this newsletter. Further ahead is our New
England Walkers 20K. We've ruled out dates in
late May because of conflicts and are now
considering June 10. Final details will be
announced in the next newsletter, on the New
England Walkers hotline and via the New England
Walkers e-mail list.
Before we head outdoors for these races, one
more indoor event remains: The National Masters
3K, part of the three-day championship track
meet, at the Reggie Lewis Center on Sunday, March
25.
Those who have yet to sign up should contact
the New England Track and field office at
617-566-7600 or obtain an application on-line at
http://www.tracs.net/NMIC.htm
Volunteers are needed to count laps, tabulate
results and otherwise coordinate activities. If
you can lend a hand, please contact Justin Kuo at
617-731-9889, or kuo@world.std.com.
Volunteers for all other events in the track
meet should contact TRACS at 617-965-6811.
Additional info is available at the TRACS
web site.
Citizens Kuo
Congratulations to Genya, Yuri,
Tolya, Anna and Masha Kuo,
who became US citizens under a new federal law on
Feb. 27. The five Kuos, who arrived in the United
States in 1994 -- and became fixtures at our
racewalking events almost immediately -- were
among thousands of overseas adopted children
benefiting from the Child Citizenship Act of
2000. Congratulations also, of course, to beaming
parents Carol and Justin Kuo.
Race results
26th annual Kathy and Ken Hayden
3.7ish-miler -- Feb. 19, D.W. Field Park,
Brockton, MA. You can't have a Presidents' Day
without this race, and people went to great
lengths to be on hand. Two walkers came roaring
into the park from Northern New England just
before the starting horn sounded, and a third
arrived afterward and jumped into the race late.
In another bow to tradition, the finish line was
moved back to its original location after two
years of a slightly abbreviated course.
(Misunderstanding which was the actual line, I
came to a dead stop a few strides short before
being urged to continue. The final 10 feet thus
took me five seconds, a pace I hope never to
maintain for a whole race.)
| Men |
| 1. |
Joe Light |
Westerly, RI |
30:57 |
| 2. |
Steve Vaitones |
Waltham, MA |
34:35 |
| 3. |
Bob Ullman |
Merrimack NH |
35:54 |
| 4. |
Ken Mattsson |
Cambridge, MA |
36:04 |
| 5. |
Charlie Mansbach |
Newton, MA |
37:21 |
| 6. |
Tom Knatt |
Concord, MA |
38:39 |
| 7. |
Paul Schell |
Malden, MA |
39:51 |
| 8. |
Justin Kuo |
Brookline, MA |
40:31 |
| 9. |
Tolya Kuo |
Brookline, MA |
42:33 |
| 10. |
Steve McAvoy |
Everett, MA |
44:22 |
| 11. |
John Gray |
Wakefield, MA |
46:15 |
| 12. |
Tom McDonough |
Nahant, MA |
48:10 |
| 13. |
Luciano Spinoso |
Boston |
51:16 |
| Women |
| 1. |
Pamela Hoss |
Brookline, MA |
40:31 |
| 2. |
Masha Kuo |
Brookline MA |
42:33 |
| 3. |
Carol Kuo |
Brookline, MA |
45:00 |
| 4. |
Michelle McDonough |
Boston |
50:26 |
| 5. |
Florence Dagata |
Pawtucket, R.I. |
50:39 |
New England Indoor 3K Championship --
Boston, Feb. 18. Men's champion Bill
Harriman gives us the inside report:
"First time in the lovely BU Armory. Track must
have been built in the early 1900's. Boards,
only 4 lanes wide, long straightaways into
tight, very steeply banked turns. The sensation
was one of being pushed down hard to the left
throughout the turn, with the right foot
landing well higher than the left. Very
difficult to straighten the right knee. Only 4
walkers on the line, two college women,
Joanne, and me. Both youngsters took off
quickly at the gun. I went through the first
lap in 1:01 and the first kilometer in 5:24.
Felt the intensity of that pace this early in
the season but good strength thanks to recent
weight training. Spectators, almost all high
school and college track kids, paying no
attention whatsoever to the walk. I passed one
of the kids and got 50 meters behind the other
but couldn't gain further ground. Through the
2k in 11:04 and digging in just to maintain.
Finished strong in 16:39 and felt fine after.
Joanne with a very strong solo effort for a
fine 19:38, a new PR by over 20 seconds!"
Mall Odyssey 3K - Feb. 19, Milford, CT.
A big turnout for this 11th installment of a race
unique in the world.
Race director Gus Davis reports:
"Fabulous race. Dave Romansky and Bob
Barrett racing, seconds apart, but missing
Jack Boitano's 60+ 8-year-old record by 5
seconds. Dave claims he would have demolished it
had he known the time! More exciting are the
numbers of juniors racing, mentored by Dave
Romansky (Shore AC), Dave and Mary
Helen Baldwin (Maine RW) and Peter
Noble (Pequenos Ligas Hispanas de Hew
Haven!). All of our records are World Mall Race
Walk Best times - any challengers? How about no
conflict next year; we are committed to
President's Day weekend due to Mall scheduling.
After all, eleven years does provide some
precedent."
| 1. |
Lee Chase |
(1W40) |
15:34.09 |
| 2. |
Joe Light |
(1M50) |
15:34.33 |
| 3. |
David Baldwin |
(2M50) |
16:02.39 |
| 4. |
Dave Romansky |
(1M60) |
16:25.35 |
| 5. |
Bob Barrett |
(2M60) |
16:28.30 |
| 6. |
Stan Sosnowski |
(3M50) |
16:35.04 |
| 7. |
Sherry Brosnahan |
(2W40) |
16:35.88 |
| 8. |
Jean Tenan |
(1W20-39) |
16:36.79 |
| 9. |
Andy Cable |
(1M20-39) |
16:55.22 |
| 10. |
Dana Vered |
(1W<14) |
17:04.54 |
| 11. |
Ann Favolise |
(14W-19) |
17:20.3 |
| 12. |
Larry Titus |
(5M50) |
17:23.22 |
| 13. |
Allison Snochowski |
(2W<14) |
17:31.31 |
| 14. |
Peter Noble |
(2M20-39) |
17:49.7 |
| 15. |
Ginger Armstrong |
(2W20-39) |
17:50.6 |
| 16. |
Bob Beaudet |
(3M60) |
18:09.51 |
| 17. |
Gerry Patrick |
(4M60) |
19:15.34 |
| 18. |
Donna Cerula |
(1W50) |
19:23.78 |
| 19. |
Dean Kavanaugh |
(5M60) |
19:35.30 |
| 20. |
Bill McCann |
(1M70) |
20:13.11 |
| 21. |
Joel Montero |
(1M<14) |
20:25.41 |
| 22. |
Richard Huie |
(6M60) |
20:38.05 |
| 23. |
Sheila Sosnowski |
(3W40) |
20:39.46 |
| 24. |
Suzan Maxey |
(4W40) |
20:41.99 |
| 25. |
Elliott Denman |
(7M60) |
22:37.97 (DQ) |
| 26. |
Rachel Beaudet |
(1W60) |
23:09.58 |
| 27. |
Rene Robles |
(2M<14) |
23:53.45 (DQ) |
| 28. |
Jonathan Montero |
(3M<14) |
23:53.87 |
| 29. |
Denise Hambrick |
(5W40) |
24:21.88 |
| 30. |
Eunice Kavanagh |
(1W70) |
24:49.37 |
| 31. |
Florence Dagata |
(2W70) |
25:03.81 |
| 32. |
Angelik Robles |
(3W<14) |
27:04.9 |
Disney Marathon and Half Marathon -
Jan. 7, Orlando, FL. "Race began at 6 a.m. with
31-degree temps. Pretty cold for Orlando,"
reports Fred Anderson.. "This race
is a lot of fun anyone interested should check
out the disney deads site at Disney-deads.com."
| Half Marathon |
| 1. |
David Lawrence |
Buffalo, NY 1 |
2:04:48 |
| 2. |
Janet Comi |
Erie PA |
2:08:41 |
| 5. |
Stan Sosnowski |
|
2:20:33 |
| 12. |
Fred Anderson |
|
2:32.48 |
| !3. |
Sheila Sosnowski |
|
2:35.45 |
| 52. |
Ann Armel |
Campton NH |
3:08:41 |
| 65. |
Kathy Anderson |
Campton NH |
3:14:46 |
| Marathon |
| 1. |
Dave McGovern |
Mobile, AL |
3:40:12 (course record) |
| 4. |
Julie Anselme |
Boise ID |
4:54:34 |
| 31. |
Kimberly Flowers |
Portland, ME |
6:16:48 |
| 51. |
Lorie Groleau |
Laconia NH |
6:47:58 |
| 72. |
Patricia Piquette |
Framingham MA |
7:00:24 |
The straight-leg rule and the older
walker
Wayne Nicoll, longtime track and field
competitor and official, offers these thoughts
after reading the results of the 2000 National
One- and Two-Hour Championships in our last
issue.
I was particularly struck by the number and
ages of the DQ'd athletes in the men's One Hour.
Several years ago I was playing basketball with
one of my granddaughters when I tried to reverse
direction too quickly and tore a tendon in my
left leg up close to the hip bone. I heard it
snap and was in nearly unbearable pain for
several days.
It took me about four months before I was able
to exercise vigorously again. When I felt ready I
entered the Indoor Nationals in Boston and
competed in both the 3K run and 3K walk. I was
apparently DQ'd in the walk, although no official
ever told me and Masters National News reported
me as a legal finisher. I did not know it at the
time but I was having difficulty straightening
the left leg as it met the ground. It was like I
had a neural disconnect from my brain to my left
foot.
You may recall that some time before this
happened to me the racewalk rules were changed,
adding the requirement that the leading leg must
be straight upon contact with the ground. This
rule, I now realize, sounded the death knell for
older competitors like Elliott Denman and me. New
judges who did not have the foggiest how to judge
lifting were now able to easily DQ older walkers
without hesitation, particularly men and women
over 60 years of age.
I fail to understand why more older walkers
have not put some heat on the Masters Track &
Field Committee to examine this injustice. As
walkers age, it becomes more difficult to plant
the leading leg straight. They do not have a
problem with lifting because they are moving
slower. We recognize that all masters athletes
experience similar problems, whether it be
throwing a discuss, running the steeplechase, or
leaping in the long jump. If we can lighten a
discus or shorten a steeplechase event, why can't
we have a more sane policy regarding the rules of
Masters racewalking?
I entered a few more racewalks but was DQ'd
each time. Until this rash of DQ's I had competed
for 40 years and never been DQ'd. So I have just
walked away from the sport. In doing so, I have
given up my credentials as a USATF racewalk
judge, referee, timer, and other managerial
skills important to the sport. I have no regrets
-- it was a great sporting adventure. I am still
active, certifying and measuring race courses,
competing in snowshoe races, and hiking Ragged
Mountain.
Less talk, more walk,
Wayne Nicoll
Indoor workouts
Ken Mattsson is conducting racewalking
sessions at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Cambridge
Rindge & Latin High School track in
Cambridge, MA in conjunction with the Cambridge
Sports Union.
For information, call Ken at 617-576-9331.
2001 race calendar
As always, our listing of racewalking events
is not engraved in stone. Some races are added
during the season, others are changed or
canceled. It's always best to verify the time,
date and location with the race director before
setting out.
March
18 - Brookline Reservoir walk.
617-731-9889
25 - USATF National Masters 3K, 1 p.m.,
Reggie Lewis Track, Boston. Grand Prix event.
USATF-NE office, 617-566-7600.
31 - Run/Walk for Humanity 5K,
LaSalette Shrine, Attleboro, 8:25 a.m. Racewalk
starts 35 minutes before running race. $50 prize
to top male and female walkers.
April
8- 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30
a.m. contact Bill Harriman at 978-640-9676
(before 9:30 p.m.).
22 - Clamdigger five-miler, Town Beach,
Westerly, RI. Grand Prix event.. A traditional
favorite for New England Walkers. Joe Light,
401-596-3173. Click here for an entry form and directions.
May
6 - Sherwood Foundation 15K and 30K,
Foster, RI. Unjudged racewalks held in
conjunction with running races. Hilly course for
the shorter race, downright mountainous for the
really long one, but a fun event.
401-943-1123.
13 -5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30
a.m. (See April listing.)
20 - Great Bear 5K. Pollard School,
Needham, MA, 3:20 p.m. An unjudged walk as part
of a daylong series of road races.
781-444-8499.
27 - Brookline Reservoir walk.
617-731-9889
June
10? - New England 20K, perhaps at
Ninigret Park, Charleston, RI.
15-16 - Massachusetts Senior Games,
1500-meter and 5K racewalks for ages 50 and
above. Springfield. 413-788-2457.
10 -5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30
a.m. (See April listing.)
24 - Brookline Reservoir walk.
617-731-9889.
July
4 - Dedham 5-miler, Dedham, MA. An
unjudged walking division as part of the town's
holiday road race.
10 - 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30
a.m. (See April listing.)
22 - Brookline Reservoir walk.
617-731-9889. Late in month -Bay State Games 3K,
Worcester State College. Part of the track and
field portion of the statewide athletics
festival. 781-932-6555.
August
12 - 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30
a.m. (See April listing)
26 - Brookline Reservoir walk.
617-731-9889.
26 - Sherwood Foundation 10K. Unjudged
walk in conjunction with running race.
401-943-1123.
September
9 - 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, 9:30
a.m. (See April listing)
23 - Brookline Reservoir walk.
617-731-9889.
October
7 -- National One- and Two-Hour
Championships, Worcester Polytechnic Institute,
Worcester, MA. Grand Prix event. Justin Kuo,
617-731-9889.
26 - Sherwood Foundation 5K,
Providence, RI. 401-943-1123
Racewalking down memory lane
February 1991 -- Phil McGaw
captures a 4.3-miler in Needham, MA in 35:28,
with Dick Ruquist second in 36:48. With
the rest of the walkers and runners in the
combined event bundled in multiple layers against
the 15-degree temperature, George
Lattarulo takes to the starting line in
shorts. "I've got the sun," he explains,
pointing to an extremely pale sky.
March 1997 - The National Masters
Indoor Track and Field Championsips are held in
Boston for the first time, and more than 50
walkers compete. Entrants represent nearly two
dozen states and come from as far away as the
West Coast. Bob Keating turns in the best
performance among the locals with 13:49, a close
second in the 50-54 grouping.
Phone any time
For up-to-the-minute information on race
schedules, clinics and other events, call the New
England Walkers hotline at: 781-433-7142
If the date atop your mailing label for this
issue does not say "2001" or later, your
New England Walkers dues are due. The payments
support races, clinics, mailings and other NEW
activities throughout the region. At $6 a year,
it's still the best deal around. Please send your
check to Justin Kuo, 39 Oakland Road,
Brookline, MA 02445.
Members may also renew membership or sign-up
online by visiting our web page at: http://newalkers.tripod.com
The New England Walkers
Send material to:
Charlie Mansbach
25 Larkspur Road
Newton, MA 02468
E-mail address: Mansba@nws.globe.com
or cmnsbch@cs.com
For membership information, contact
Justin
Kuo at 617-731-9889