Quick Hits for a Tuesday morning:
— A year ago, I happened to be visiting Bozeman, Montana, and decided to jump into a trail race in the Bridger Mountains. I ran well, certainly nothing to brag about, but the climbs didn’t seem as difficult as in Flagstaff.
In any event, I turned out to be a winner! The race had a category for “Grand Masters,” runners ages 60 and above. I thought this was a brilliant idea, and not just because my prizes included an insulated water bottle and other swag from Bozeman Running Company.
I asked the race director why the separate categories for geezers like me. He said it’s because Bozeman boasted a wealth of speedy early 40s runners who technically were in the “masters” category, and he felt it was unfair to the town’s growing posse of 60-plus runners to have them directly competing against people much younger.
(Here, I could insert all sort of peer-reviewed, double-blind studies detailing how runners lose muscle mass — yes, even if they lift — as they age to bloster the belief that there is evidence that a fit 40-year-old runner has a huge advantage over aan equally fit 60-year-old runner. But I won’t. Trust me, the aging process for a runner is a constant battle against inevitable decline.)
So, here’s my immodest prospoal for Flagstaff races: Adopt the “Grand Masters” awards category. This is different than age-group awards, which are just fine as they are. The overall masters winner usually gets a higher quality award, or even cash.
You may say this is self-serving on my part — given that I’m in that age category — but you’d be wrong. Flagstaff is home to several talented and seemingly ageless 60-somethings (John Bogen and Rob Hall immediately come to mind), so I’d be lucky even to place in age-grouping.
The way I figure it, the number of 60-plus runners has steadily rose in recent years and certainly shows no signs of slowing, so this recognition makes sense.
I asked Neil Weintraub, Flagstaff’s most active race director, his opinion on the “Grand Master” idea.
Weintraub’s response: “I think it is a great idea, and I’ve been contemplating it, so this is a good kick in the ass to just do it! It was probably 15 years ago when I created the added awards for both overall and masters champs, so clearly it is time to add 60+ award.
“Of course, at both (Big Brothers Big Sisters Half Marathon) and Soulstice (Mountain Trail Runs) we had men’s masters runners win the overall titles (Nick Arciniaga and Rob Krar), which led to 57-year-old Ted MacMahon winning both master’s divisions. There is no advantage to moving into the older divisions in this oxygen deprived town! Many in that infamously competitive 60+ crowd have jokingly asked me way too many times (because everyone loves getting my eye rolls) to create five year age divisions. So this is a really good, simple response.”
It’s time for you, the reader, to weigh in.
Is this a good idea or simply an exercise in coddling entitled baby boomers?
— Wednesday is Global Running Day, anad Run Flagstaff will be holding a bash in celebration from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the store. There will be “giveaways” (aka, merch), a four-mile optional run and much food and drink. There may even be a few elites hanging around to hob-nob with.
More info here.
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