PHILADELPHIA _ On the last Saturday in April, at about 5 in the afternoon, as shadows from the ornate gingerbread of Weightman Hall and from the south stands of Franklin Field crept across the deep red running track that is one of the most famous in the world, there was only stillness in this spring without the Penn Relays.
A year ago, on that day and at that time _ 5:10 p.m., to be exact, and Relays officials are renowned for their exactitude _ the Masters 60-and-over 4x400-meter relay was contested. Six teams in the 60-and-over division, one team in the 70-and-over division, and one team in the 75-and-over division took the starting line for the race.
There are hundreds of events each year at the Penn Relays, involving 15,000 athletes: youth, junior, high school, college, Olympic Development, corporate, disabled, Special Olympics, as well as Masters, in divisions that begin with ages 40-and-over. The oldest division contested last year was the 80-and-over 100-yard dash, won by 82-year-old Bill Bittner, representing Philadelphia Masters Track & Field Association, in a time of 15.34 seconds.
As for relay events, however, the soul of the three-day carnival, the 4x400 is the most grueling, and the 75-and-over division the most unlikely to attract participants. Athletes who reach that age still able to run as far, and still willing to do so, comprise a small pool. The 400 meters is a cruel event for anyone, falling as it does between sprint and distance. To compete in it properly, one has to treat it as the former. The price can be heavy.
Only one 75-and-over team entered the 4x400 relay in 2019, also representing Philadelphia Masters, and it was assured the gold medal in that division simply by completing the relay without incident. It wasn't really a race against the clock, except, of course, the four runners had already won their own individual races against time.
This is a poignant season for all athletes whose competitions have been halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The stoppages represent time they will never get back. For older athletes, it also represents time they might not have to spare.
"A great deal has been written and will be written concerning the lost seasons for college and professional athletes, but nothing is being said about athletes like myself," said Bruce Rubin, one member of the gold medal 4x400 team. "The senior athlete, in many cases, might have participated in their last events if this pandemic does not end soon and positively."
