Big doings for 2005
New England delegates Steve Vaitones and
Justin Kuo returned from the USA Track &
Field annual meeting with the news that our New
England Association has been awarded the 2005
National 15-Kilometer Racewalking Championship,
to be held Sunday, August 7. The association will
also host the event in 2006 and 2007. Tentative
location for 2005 is a shaded loop on Greenough
Boulevard in Watertown, MA. Stay tuned for many
details.
Our association has also been awarded the East
Region One Hour championship, to be held in
September or October at Bentley College in
Waltham. MA.
And we have a full range of other racewalking
events on our calendar for the new year. The
schedule includes Year Seven of the popular
5-kilometer races at Danehy Park in Cambridge,
MA., held monthly from April through October. The
races are judged but no one is disqualified; the
judges are there to offer encouragement and
useful advice.
Also in store is our annual Grand prix
competition. Participants are ranked by their
times in their four best designated events, as
measured against age-graded tables. The lineup
includes these events:
| Jan. 9 |
1 mile |
USATF-NE Masters |
Brown University |
| Jan. 23 |
3K |
GBTC |
Harvard University |
| Feb. 20 |
3K |
USATF-NE |
Harvard University |
| April 24 |
8K |
Clamdigger |
Westerly, RI |
| June |
3K |
USATF-NE Outdoor Championships |
|
| July 16 |
3K |
Bay State Games |
|
| Jul/Aug |
5K |
Eastern Regional |
Springfield College |
| Aug. 7 |
15K |
National Championship |
Watertown, MA |
| Sept. 24 |
10K |
Connecticut Racewalkers |
New London, CT |
| Sept./Oct. |
One-hour |
Bentley College |
Waltham, MA |
Help save two endangered races
The Brown Masters Indoor Track & Field
meet in Providence has suffered declining
participation in recent years, and organizers are
thinking of discontinuing the event if turnout
does not improve for the upcoming Jan. 9 meet.
There may not be much we can do about the
dwindling numbers of hurdlers, sprinters and
weight-throwers, but we certainly can help swell
the ranks of entrants in the one-mile racewalk.
An entry form is available at usatfne.org; a form
and other information are also available from Bob
Rothenberg at Brown University, 401-863-1041.
The Clamdigger 8K racewalk in Westerly, RI, a
fixture on our Grand Prix schedule, also had a
disappointing dropoff in participation last year.
The Clamdigger may revert to a runners-only event
unless more of us turn out on April 24. For more
information, contact Joe Light 401-596-3173 or
consult westerlytrackclub.org.
New year's resolutions
What are our
racewalking goals and hopes for the year? As
always, the query brings a variety of sentiments
from club members and friends.
***
Joanne Dow
With the Olympic year behind me, and results that
were disappointing, I resolve to have more fun
with my walking. I want to compete in some fun,
fast events. I'd really like to race at the Penn
Relays this year and knock off a fast 5k. My plan
is to compete nationally this year (no retirement
yet for me).
***
Marcia Gutsche Rutledge
- To stay injury-free! This translates to
religiously doing my hamstring exercises which
I really don't enjoy doing!
- To actively participate in NE Grand Prix
races.
- To travel to several National and/or
National Masters events and place respectfully
in the National Open Grand Prix and Masters
standings.
- To post at least one lifetime PR, possibly
at the 20K distance -- this is definitely
getting harder with age, but hopefully is still
in the realm of possibilities given 2 PRs this
year.
- To develop a game plan for completing two
more marathons - one in South America to
complete my goal of a marathon on every
continent and, of course, that small, local
marathon called the Boston Marathon!
- And, last but not least, stay fit and have
fun no matter how the races go!
***
Bill Harriman
My tendency has been to train too hard, get
injured, and miss too many races as a result. In
2005 I resolve to reverse that trend by
undertraining, staying healthy, and competing in
as many local races as I can. My goal is to see
how many total grand prix points I can score in
one season. I also resolve to continue attracting
as many walkers as I can to the Danehy Park
series, especially new walkers, and to make those
races fun for everybody.
***
John Gray
My only resolution appropriate for NEW is to get
down to an 11 minute mile walking. And to do it
before I do that running because actually I can
now racewalk, possibly illegally, as fast as I
can run.
***
Joe Light
Walk the Boston Marathon. Tried it 9 years ago
for the 100th anniversary. Qualified as a runner
but got injured a few weeks before and was forced
to walk it with inadequate distance training and
quit at 30km. Complete 4 races in grand prix
series.
***
Tom Knatt
My resolution is to sell my house so that, instead of spending time fixing my house, I have enough time for racewalking.
***
Charlie Mansbach
I can talk about times and GP points and whether
I can ever get fast enough to win back the carton
of French soymilk from Monsieur Knatt. But all I
really want is to be healthy enough to get out
there and compete in my new 60+ age category.
Ray McPeck 1920-2004
Raymond F. McPeck of Quincy, MA, a New England
Walkers member and a familiar presence at races
in the early and mid 1990s, died Dec. 22 at the
Bedford VA Medical Center. He was 84.
Ray, a boxer, figure skater, and tennis player
before taking up racewalking in his retirement
years, was an employee of the Boston Gas Co. for
30 years.
His wife, Helene, also a NEW member, died in
2002.
Membership renewal time
For most of us, our 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. Simply click on the "Paying Dues Online"
section of this web site, or send your check
to
Justin Kuo
39 Oakland Road
Brookline, MA 02245
***
It is time also to renew your membership in
USA Track & Field. Membership is required for
participation in the many USATF-sanctioned events
during the year. The form is available at
www.usatfne.org, and you can
also register on-line there. For further
information, call the New England office at
617-566-7600.
'04 Grand Prix results
Six men and four
women completed the full 2004 Grand Prix, with
top honors going to Maryanne Daniel and Bob
Keating. Participants were ranked by their times
in their four best designated events, as measured
against age-graded tables. Thanks to Steve
Vaitones, USATF shirts have been awarded to the
first-place man and woman, and engraved USATF
medals for the first three men and women.
A total of 54 walkers scored points in the
series, with 31 men and 23 women completing at
least one race. Following are the final standings
of those who completed four races, with thanks to
tireless and diligent scorekeeper Bill
Harriman.
| Men |
| Bob Keating |
353.28 |
| Bill McCann |
308.7 |
| Tom Knatt |
305.34 |
|
| Bill Harriman |
302.74 |
| Lou Free |
300.83 |
| Charlie Mansbach 2 |
81.84 |
| Women |
| Maryanne Daniel |
347.68 |
| Marcia Gutsche Rutledge |
339.26 |
| Joanne Harriman |
315.12 |
| Pat Godfrey |
293.15 |
Congratulations to ...
Marcia Gutsche Rutledge, who has been
selected as the nation's top female racewalker
for 2004 in the 40-44 age bracket.
Justin Kuo, competitor, official, NEW
mainstay and member of the USATF New England
Board of Governors, who has been named as the new
chair of the USATF Records Committee.
Responsibilities will include coordinating the
compilation of record performances through the
year and chairing the committee meeting that
reviews the pending records.
Steve Vaitones, managing director of
the USATF-NE office and longtime competitor and
official, who was elected vice chairman of the
Men's and Women's Race Walking Committee.
Team in Training report
By Michael
Hoffer
The Rhode Island Leukemia - Lymphoma's Team in
Training program has had another very successful
and rewarding year. As we complete our 9th year
we still are maintaining a 100 % completion
record and the cure rates for these terrible
diseases continue to show improvements.
Nationally, all of the Team in Training chapters
this year will have raised a collective $100
million for cancer research and patient care. In
the last two national events we raised $12
million in San Diego and $10 million in San
Francisco. You can see this is a very strong and
successful program
During 2004 I competed in and took teams to
the Disney Half/ Full Marathon, Mardi Gras Half/
Full Marathon, San Diego Marathon, Virginia Half
Marathon and the new Nike Half/ Full San
Francisco Marathon. To date I have done 41Team in
Training events, raised $90,000, and we are
preparing for our two winter events, the Disney
and Phoenix Half/ Full Marathons in January.
In 2004 I received the two highest National
Awards at the Team in Training Dinner at the San
Diego Marathon, which is attended by every
chapter in the country, as having participated in
the most events and raised the highest amount of
money. To show my "generational gap" with the
electronics era, one of the prizes that I won was
an MP #2 player, and when I got back to our table
I had to ask what this "space ship" like gadget
did and how it worked. My wife and I decided that
this was too complicated, so we gave it to our
grandson who had it programmed within 30 minutes.
In the San Francisco Half Marathon I was not
going for speed but still finished 3rd in my age
group, so it's not that my times are getting
better but rather that the number of people in my
age group [ 65 - 69 ] lessened!
As we are approaching our 10th year we are
very optimistic that we will see major
breakthroughs on the research front, cure rates
will continue to increase and the quality of life
of those stricken with these diseases will show
marked improvement. As long as my feet hold up,
we see that our mission to eradicate these
dreadful diseases is not complete and we continue
to recruit new participants to help us fight our
battle I will continue to serve as Head Walking
Coach for this very meaningful and rewarding
program. I still do local races and continue to
run [or walk ] into NEW club members, and while
my times have gone in the wrong direction it's
still fun being out there for the starting gun! I
hope everyone is well and healthy and is looking
forward to a wonderful holiday season.
Best regards to all and Happy Walking.
Michael Hoffer
2005 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.
January
9 - 1 mile, USATF-NE Masters T&F
meet, Brown University, Providence RI
401-863-1041
7, 9 - Dartmouth Relays, Hanover NH
23 - 3K, Greater Boston TC Invitational
at Harvard University. 20-minute time limit 617
282-5537 or gbtc.org
February
20 - 3K, USATF New England Indoor
Championships, Harvard U. New England track and
field office, 617-566-7600 or usatfne.org.
21 - 29th annual Presidents' Day
3.7-miler, 2 p.m., D.W. Field Park, Brockton, MA.
One of our favorite traditions. Group meal to
follow at nearby restaurant.
26-27 - USA National Indoor T&F
Championships, Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic
Center, Boston. 3000m women, 5000m men.
Qualifying times. New England track and field
office, 617-566-7600 or usatfne.org..
March
20 - Tentative- USATF Connecticut
Championships. New England track and field
office, 617-566-7600 or usatfne.org.
April
3 - 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, MA, 10
a.m. Contact Bill Harriman at 978-640-9676
(before 9:30 p.m.)
24 - Clamdigger 8K, Westerly, RI. Joe Light, 401-596-3173
or westerlytrackclub.org.
May
1 - 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, MA, 10
a.m. Contact Bill Harriman at 978-640-9676
(before 9:30 p.m.)
June
5 - 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, MA, 10
a.m. Contact Bill Harriman at 978-640-9676
(before 9:30 p.m.)
19?? - 3K, USATF-NE Outdoor
Championships New England track and field office,
617-566-7600 or usatfne.org.
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, MA, 9
a.m. Contact Bill Harriman at 978-640-9676
(before 9:30 p.m.)
16 - 3K, Bay State Games. ??? Easter
Masters 5K championship, Springfield College, MA.
New England track and field office, 617-566-7600
or usatfne.org..
August
7 - National 15K championships,
Greenough Boulevard, Watertown, MA. New England
track and field office, 617-566-7600 or
usatfne.org.
14 - 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, MA, 9
a.m. Contact Bill Harriman at 978-640-9676
(before 9:30 p.m.)
September
11 - 5K, Danehy Park, Cambridge, MA, 10
a.m. Contact Bill Harriman at 978-640-9676
(before 9:30 p.m.)
24 - Connecticut Racewalkers 10K.
September or October- Eastern Regional
One-Hour Championship, Bentley College, Waltham,
MA. New England track and field office,
617-566-7600 or usatfne.org.
Racewalking down memory lane
Jan. 14,
1995 - The mercury hits 69 degrees, an all-time
record for the date, while we are assembled in
the Brown University field house in Providence
for the annual masters meet. Someone opens a side
door, and we stream into the warm sunshine to do
our warm-ups in the parking lot and on nearby
streets. A couple of us are so invigorated that
we turn in PRs when we get back inside on the
track. Temperatures return to their freezing
norms in subsequent years, and we revert to doing
our warm-ups at the far ends of the track and
down the narrow hallways.
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
The New England Walkers
Send material to:
Charlie Mansbach
25 Larkspur Road
Newton, MA 02468
E-mail address: mansba@globe.com
For membership information, contact
Justin Kuo at 617-731-9889