The world of Masters athletics contains all the drama of regular sporting competition, with the additional compelling feature that the athletes are aged from 35 to over 100. But who are these doughty stars of the track, who keep competing long after most of us have stashed our trainers under the spare bed for good?
Lesley Chaplin
The bright-eyed track star from Atlanta, Georgia, has enjoyed a flat out astonishing 2018 so far, breaking no fewer than three separate world records in her age category’s 800m indoor, one-mile outdoor and one-mile indoor races. Upliftingly, the 60-year-old credits at least part of her success to husband – and coach – Tom Hintz. “I love being coached by my husband,” she says. “We both share the same love and passion for track.” Surely it sometimes gets a bit stressful, working with a spouse? “He’s very good at wearing two hats.”
Events: W60: 400m, 800m, 1,500m
Barry Ferguson
The 76-year-old hurdler first joined Cambridge Harriers running club back in 1983. He was invited on to the Masters circuit, albeit with only modest success. With his 50th birthday looming, Ferguson decided to take his preparation more seriously – and went on to not only win his next race but set a new British record, which opened the floodgates to a slew of gold medals and records. “I have now travelled all over the world to countries I would not have visited otherwise, for example, Japan, South Korea and Brazil,” Ferguson says.
Events: Sprint hurdles – 60m, 80m
Sue Yeomans
Just two years after she began training aged 47, Yeomans vaulted her way to victory at the 2002 world championships. So what does she consider her highest accomplishment? “It’s a toss up really – Porto Alegre Brazil 2013 was my most golds in one world championship, in pole vault, high jump, long jump and triple jump. Or there is my comeback world championship gold in pole vault, and a championship record in Perth, Australia six weeks after my mastectomy.” Talk about setting the bar.
Events: Pole vault, high jump, long jump, triple jump
Mary Trotto
“I just completed my tenth decathlon,” says the remarkable 71-year-old athlete from Kihea, Hawaii. “And I still do the steeplechase.” Trotto reckons that beyond the simple joy of competing and winning medals, staying in peak Masters condition improves her quality of life in all sorts of diverse ways. “I can play with young nieces and nephews, I can go all day with their asking and visiting without getting tired. I feel strong.”
Events: All running events, especially 5km, decathlon, sometimes triathlon
Paul Osland
A former Olympian who represented his native Canada during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Osland is the current chief executive of Athletics Ontario. He’s looking forward to the Masters World Championships coming to his hometown of Toronto in 2020. “In 2005, I attended my first world championships in Spain. I won the M40 800m race, even though I wasn’t even aware of Masters racing until just a few months prior to the championships.”
Events: 800m and 1,500m, occasional 400m, 4x400m and 4x800m relays, some javelin, high jump and pole vault
Joanna Harper
Harper, from Portland, Oregon, has been a reliable fixture of the Masters scene since turning 40 in 1997. Until 2004, she competed in the men’s division, but was forbidden from entering the female division until three years later despite transitioning her gender. “Those were dark years, when I only entered races on an unofficial basis,” Harper told us. Her data-led work unpicking the stigma of trans women in athletics has seen her make fierce, articulate appearances on Fox News and on the pages of the Washington Post.
Events: Distance running, 1,500m to marathon
Moira West
West’s journey to the Masters began more than two decades ago. “Aged 46, I put on some trainers and went for a jog. A lady I met while out running said I could join her for company and when I could run 2 miles she’d take me to the local Overton Harriers club. So it started – 5k became 10k and I enjoyed road races and cross-country. Aged 50, a teammate suggested I would be better suited to sprinting. I entered the Cardiff indoor Masters championships and got a silver medal in the 200m, and in 2012 was awarded my first world championship medal.”
Events: 60m, 100m, 200m and 400m
John Wasko
As a resident of American Samoa in the South Pacific, Wasko faces a daunting commute whenever he wants to compete at the Masters. But he still trains just as hard. “Personal satisfaction isn’t always about being at a big meet,” the 74-year-old says. “It’s knowing you’re competitive with other athletes. My times are up there with the top runners in the world.” He’s evangelical about track running. “It’s not like soccer where there’s overtime, a second chance. When the gun goes off you have to excel, even if nobody is in the other lane.”
Events: 100m, 200m, 400m
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