Opportunity to Participate in a Virtual Race as a Posthumous Tribute to Cesar Sajche Valladares--Register ASAP

 February 25, 2021. Yesterday evening I received a note from a representative of NCCWMA, the  North American, Central American and Carribbean division of World Masters Athletics. The note asked me to let USATF Masters athletes know about the event. Unfortunately I have no information about Sr. Valladares, other than that he was an NCCWMA representative from Guatemala. 

According to the document sent, which I have copied in below, the deadline is this afternoon at 5 pm. The website of the NCCMA (apparently in Spanish speaking countries they do not include the 'W') has a notice saying "Registrations are open until 8 p.m. (ET) February 27". One other thing, when you click on the first link below to register, you arrive at a website in Spanish. But at the top, under the flags, it says 'Select Language.' Click on that and a pull-down menu allows you to select 'English.' Read on for details about the event and how to fully participate.

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Virtual Road Race, Run or Walk

Tribute to César Sajché Valladares

 

The paramount mission of the North, Central American and Caribbean Masters Athletics, affiliated with the WMA, is to coordinate and regulate activities related to athletics in adulthood.  For this reason, we are presenting to all competitors aged 30 and above, this virtual race which will be run as a posthumous tribute to our Guatemalan representative, César Sajché Valladares:

Date: Run or walk from March 1st to 7th, 2021

Time: At the time of your choice, as long as it falls within the days indicated above.

Place: You can do it in the place of your choice, respecting the proper physical distance measures that prevail in your city.

Period to complete the race: You must run or walk the distance you have chosen in a single event on any of the days mentioned above.  If you stop before finishing, the device will register the suspension of the race, in which case you will have to start again.

Walking distances: 5k or 10k.

Running distances: 3k, 5k or 10k.

More than one distance:  You may do more than one distance, but you must register and pay separately for each distance.

Cost: 3.00 US Dollars per entry.

To enter and take part, follow these steps:

 

1.- Entries: Register from present publication until February 25th, 2021 at 5:00 pm, Mexico City time (6:00 pm EST).  To register, log on to the web site https://eventosdeportivos.com.mx/racewalk, and follow the instructions given. After payment, wait for a confirmation email with your bib number and the access code for the app “TYR”, which you must download onto your mobile phone.  (You can get it free at the Google Play Store or the Apple Store, depending on your mobile OS).

 

2.-Age groups.  Your 5-year age group will correspond to your age on March 1st.:

 

Men	Women
M30-34	W30-34
M35-39	W35-39
M40-44	W40-44
M45-49	W45-49
M50-54	W50-54
M55-59	W55-59
M60-64	W60-64
M65-69	W65-69
M70-74	W70-74
M75-79	W75-79
M80-84	W80-84
M85-89	W85-89
M90-94	W90-94
M95-99	W95-99
M100 +	W100 +

3.- Using the Application.

•       Enter the Play Store or App Store, look for the “TYR Tempos and Results” application (as mentioned above).

•       DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL THE APP ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.

•       Select the César Sajché Valladares virtual athletic race event.

•       Enter the view direct option to see the welcome video

•       Return to the initial window and click on participate, write down your username and password which you    received by mail after registration.

•       The application will open the window with your data, full name, age group, gender and the distance you have chosen.

•       When you are ready, activate the mobile data, the GPS on your mobile device, wait for the GPS to detect your location, click on the "start running" bar.

•       The system will indicate you by means of an audible stopwatch the pace for each kilometer and also when you have completed the race.

•       The application will show a map with the route, select on the results screen, click to record your route.

•       If you suspend the course before covering or completing your distance, the system will not produce any results.

•       You will be able to observe the classification of all the participants, see in the trophies option the first three places for each age group

•       You can upload your photographs as evidence of your race, participate virtually with the NCCMA.

 

Note: You must also have security measures and comply with the guidelines of the health authorities of your city

We suggest the use of a face mask that allows you to breathe properly while you run or walk, if you can’t physically distance yourself from others.

You must carry your phone with you. Make sure to turn on the GPS.

 

The application will record the exact date and time of the start, the distance covered, and your time for the the race.  It will automatically stop when the distance for which you have registered is reached. The results of the run or walk will be published at the following website https://www.nccmasterathletics.com five days after March 7.

4.- Awards.  

Virtual recognition with time and position by age group and gender will be included in the published results.

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Sean Wade Takes Down Three American Road Records in Houston: DIY at its Best!

February 14, 2021. HOUSTON, Texas. February 6. – Conditions were perfect for Sean Wade’s attempts to pick off three American Records in a single 10 Mile Race. Wade was inducted into the Masters Hall of Fame in 2019, and still holds the Men's 50-54 American Record for the 5 Km at 15:02! He sped to that record in April 2016. A couple of months ago, with his 55th birthday, Feb. 3, 2021, on the horizon, Wade took stock of his fitness. Injured in the summer of 2020, he had started to recover by the fall and his fitness had improved to the point where he thought a record attempt at the 12K or 15K would be within his range. He was not sure about the Ten Mile, which was definitely at the long end of his range. Known for his track work at the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, Wade was no stranger to the longer races. In October 2018 Wade entered the USATF Masters 15 Km Championship in Tulsa. The course has many challenging hills; Wade, nonetheless, not only won his 50-54 age division, he finished 5th Masters Overall in 51:32, less than a minute off the winning time!

Sean Wade, at age 49, capturing the 40-49 division win at the 2015 Fifth Avenue Mile

 

The next question was where he could find a race to run in. He ruled out a track race as there were no upcoming Indoor Track races for Masters athletes. The Masters Outdoor Track Championship were scheduled for the summer but even those were not definite. And Covid had decimated the Masters LDR Championship schedule. There, too, the earliest possible date was in June and that was listed as highly likely to be cancelled. Given the difficulty top Masters athletes, who train at the upper edge of fitness have in staying healthy, he did not want to wait that long. He wanted to run as soon as possible after his 55th birthday as he could. Wade explained, "I wanted to make sure I got something on the board; I have been injured so often." With no races anticipated in the month of February or even March, Wade started to wonder if he could organize a road race on his own. He spoke with Jay Hendrickson, a local Race Director in Houston; the two have known each other a long time, and Hendrickson said he would be happy to help. Wade knew that a number of small races for Elite athletes had been arranged, both on the track and on the road. Perhaps he could do something similar, but for a Masters event, and raise the spirits of competitive Masters runners by taking down a record in the 2nd year of Covid!

Wade needed to know the details of what would be required for the race to be legitimate for an American Record, should he be able to run fast enough. He turned to Andy Carr, who is in charge of validating American Records for USATF. In addition to learning about the form that had to be filed, Wade learned that if the following conditions were met, a record could be validated and sent to the USATF Masters LDR Committee for ratification: 

• the course had to be record eligible (no more than a 1-meter drop per kilometer and no more than 50% separation of the start and finish);
• the course had to have a USATF certification that the course has been accurately measured. If the course is pre-verified by an IAAF 'A' measurer, that removes any question about the distance being accurately measured.
• the course must be sanctioned by USATF, which requires, among other things, that all local and USATF Covid guidelines have to be observed;
• the race could be an Invitational, and does not have to be large, but it does have to have at least three competitors
  

Certain technical details about the timing system would also have to be checked but Hendrickson, an IAAF 'B' measurer himself, assured Wade that he was quite familiar with the requirements and his timing system would pass those requirements with flying colors. He also assured Wade that he could arrange to have an 'A' measurer do the pre-verification.

All that was done in advance. Wade and Hendrickson laid out a 1.537 kilometer closed loop course for the River Oaks Invitational Ten Mile Road Race, not far from Wade's home. There would be no spectators and participation would be limited so that social distancing could be easily maintained during the race. The sanction was obtained, the technical details were sent in advance to Carr so he was assured everything was set if the times were fast enough. Hendrickson made sure there were timing mats not only at the start and finish, but also at the 12K and 15K marks; these two were certified and pre-verified.

The table was set; now Wade had to deliver! At 5:13 am on Saturday, February 6th, less than a week after wade's 55th birthday, the following email went out to Carr and his two USATF associates responsible for accurate course measurement, Andy Katz, and Mike Wickiser:

"The River Oaks Invitational with certified splits (TX21001JH) is pre-verified. It was measured by Jay Henderson  (B) and Logan Burgess (A).  An age group record attempt will be made today on the course at a variety of distances."

At 7 am, Wade and the other competitors had finished their warmups and were stepping to the line. 

Sean Wade, middle, along with two competitors and Race Officials, at the start of his Record-Breaking Trifecta in Houston [Photo Credit: Sean Wade]

 

The weather was perfect: 50 degrees, low humidity, and little to no wind. The course was flat, with a maximum height above sea level of 18 meters and a minimum height of 17 meters. Wade had an ambitious goal, but was well prepared for the effort, and focused exclusively on setting records. Wade aimed to take records from three Hall of Famers, Brian Pilcher 12K in 41:09 on May 6, 2012; Norm Green 15K in 50:45:09 on March 27, 1988; and Jim O’Neil 10 Miles in 54:25 on April 10, 1994. The most recent record has stood for almost 9 years; the other two even longer, 26 and 32 years, respectively.

Although the task was daunting, the plan was straightforward. The toughest of the three records was the 10 Miler, which required a 5:26 pace. A 5:27 pace was needed to break the 15K (9.32 miles), and a 5:31 pace to break the 12K (7.45 miles). Wade determined to maintain a 5:25 pace for as long as he could. If he could keep that up for 12 kilometers, he had that record in his pocket. Keep it up another couple of miles and pocket the 15k, and then hold on for all you are worth to get the 10 Miler. A simple strategy perhaps, but not easy to execute at age 55! Wade's pace at the 15K Masters Championship in 2018, when he was 52, was 5:32 per mile. That course was far from flat though.

Wade and the other competitors toed the line, but only Wade had his eye on such a big prize. Knowing that he might fade a bit over the last part of the course, Wade determined to hold to a 5:24 pace if he could. He was dead on for the first 12K, crossing the timing mat in 40:14. His average pace for the first 12K was 5:23.7, and the record was broken by 56 seconds. Through the 15K he was at 5:24.2 per mile, for a 50:22 15K, breaking that record by 23 seconds! If he did not break down in the final two-thirds of a mile, the 3^rd record was his. He crossed the finish line at 10 Miles in 54:06, with 20 seconds to spare, the third American record pocketed! 

A job well done, Wade and his fellow competitors took off on a 3-mile cool down run, while Hendrickson took care of getting the paperwork filled out and sent to Carr. By that evening, Carr had verified the records and notified the USATF Masters LDR Committee. Three evenings later, the Committee unanimously ratified the Records, establishing, as far as anyone knew, a record for the shortest time period between an American Record attempt and its ratification! Tom Bernhard, after the ratification, referred to the records as the first 'DIY Records' he knew of. He praised Wade for finding what needed to be done, recruiting the help he needed, and organizing the whole affair. Bernhard added that "In the time of Covid, that may be the only approach that will work for getting a new American Age Division record!

Andy Carr now has the records listed on his website at: http://www.usatfldrrecords.org/

Carr also tipped me off that two of the three marks are World Bests. The list of World Best Age Division Records is maintained by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians at: https://arrs.run/VetRec.htm. Wade dislodged Belgium's Mark Vanderhoeven from the top spot on the M55 list for 12 Km, lowering his mark by 46 seconds. Aart Stigter of the Netherlands no longer has the top time for 15 Km; Wade took that one with half a minute to spare. Martin Rees of Wales, another of the truly outstanding Masters runners of the early 21st century, retains his 2008 10 Mile World Best by 45 seconds!

Sean Wade setting a new M50 American Indoor Mile Record of 4:33 at Boston University in 2016 [photo courtesy of Sean Wade]

Wade said, “I want to thank Jay Hendrickson for all his hard work, and everyone else who contributed to this effort.” Wade was injured last summer but worked his way into shape. Covid continued to eliminate high-quality races for Masters athletes but Wade did not want to waste his fitness. He wanted to get some records broken early on so he could try for more later. “ If I can stay healthy, I will go for the 10K and 8K records in a few weeks, and then the 5K and the 1 Mile after that. If I am somehow able to stay healthy for that whole period, I should have the fitness to go after the M55 World Best in the 5K. I need to beat 15:31. A 15:30 requires a 4:59.3 per mile pace; it is a challenge I look forward to.” Sub-5 pace for a 5K at 55. If anyone is up to it, it is Wade!