In the last Waratah the editors asked for letters, so since I am now an M70 sprint athlete, I am allowed to reminisce about the past and Bull Dust a little bit (You Asked For It!).
I entered competitive athletics at age 53 and have won my fair share of medals in NSW and Australian Masters Athletics Championships. However, I have not worried about Records and it was a surprise to be notified by Stan Stark (who has done a terrific job as Records Officer) that I have been recently credited with three State Records. One of these records was for the M 220 plus 4 x 100m relay and this made me realize that running relays with fellow athletes has given me some great memories.
I had the pleasure of running with Reg Austin, Hugh Coogan Qld and David Clive WA in the M60 4 x 100m Relay in the World Championships in Durban 1997 to win Silver in the still current Australian Record time of 48.95 s. The German team won Gold because our baton changes were not good. On the same day I teamed up with Hugh Coogan, Noel Garvey Qld and Reg Austin to win Gold in the M60 4 x 400 Relay in the still current Australian Record time of 4m 00.86 s. As the German team had three of their runners in the 400m final they were the favorites. However Hugh Coogan ran the first leg and gave us an 8 to 10 m lead, the rest of us kept this lead to win.
At the recent Australian Masters Athletics Championships in Canberra, my M70 100m time on the Saturday was not very good, so I did not expect to be in a relay team. It was a surprise on Sunday morning when Alec Walker, our hard working NSW Teams Manager, informed me that I was in the M220+ Relay team.
My team mates were John Van Stappen, Neville McIntyre and Alan Carey and we were up against only one team, but a formidable one, from Queensland. John Van Stappen (our team captain) and I conferred early on the day and decided that I would start and pass the baton to him at the beginning of the change area. This should reduce the length of my run to compensate for my slower speed.
The Queensland Team (in order of running)
Name Age 100m Time
John Cooper 67 12.68s
Travis Venema 30 11.26s
Nelson Viney 58 13.98s
Hugh Coogan 70 13.37s
Total Age 225 Total Times 51.31s (for 400m)
The NSW Team (in order of running)
Bernie Condon 70 14.49s
John Van Stappen 56 12.49s
Neville McIntyre 63 12.84s
Alan Carey 55 12.52s
Total Age 244 Total Time 52.34s (for 400m)
I started the race against John Cooper and did better than could be expected (the adrenalin was working). After the baton change, John Van Stappen was only 3 to 4 m behind Travis Venema. John put in a great chase behind the 30 yr old 11.2s Venema. On the third leg Neville McIntyre had to do a fair bit of catch up and as usual “burnt up” the track in a great effort to almost catch Nelson Viney the Queensland runner. On the final leg John Carey started abut 3 to 4m behind Hugh Coogan and stormed home to win the race by 0.47s.
My analyses of the two teams above (done after the race – just as well!) shows that Queensland should have won by 1 second. Just goes to show that team tactics, safe baton changing and determination can win a relay with a slow 70 year old starting. Maybe Peter Crombie’s last minute coaching of Neville and Alan in baton changing also helped.
Now that I am an M70, I can’t expect to run an M220 Relay again. So thanks for the opportunity Alec and thank you John, Neville and Alan for the thrill of a great win.
.
I entered competitive athletics at age 53 and have won my fair share of medals in NSW and Australian Masters Athletics Championships. However, I have not worried about Records and it was a surprise to be notified by Stan Stark (who has done a terrific job as Records Officer) that I have been recently credited with three State Records. One of these records was for the M 220 plus 4 x 100m relay and this made me realize that running relays with fellow athletes has given me some great memories.
I had the pleasure of running with Reg Austin, Hugh Coogan Qld and David Clive WA in the M60 4 x 100m Relay in the World Championships in Durban 1997 to win Silver in the still current Australian Record time of 48.95 s. The German team won Gold because our baton changes were not good. On the same day I teamed up with Hugh Coogan, Noel Garvey Qld and Reg Austin to win Gold in the M60 4 x 400 Relay in the still current Australian Record time of 4m 00.86 s. As the German team had three of their runners in the 400m final they were the favorites. However Hugh Coogan ran the first leg and gave us an 8 to 10 m lead, the rest of us kept this lead to win.
At the recent Australian Masters Athletics Championships in Canberra, my M70 100m time on the Saturday was not very good, so I did not expect to be in a relay team. It was a surprise on Sunday morning when Alec Walker, our hard working NSW Teams Manager, informed me that I was in the M220+ Relay team.
My team mates were John Van Stappen, Neville McIntyre and Alan Carey and we were up against only one team, but a formidable one, from Queensland. John Van Stappen (our team captain) and I conferred early on the day and decided that I would start and pass the baton to him at the beginning of the change area. This should reduce the length of my run to compensate for my slower speed.
The Queensland Team (in order of running)
Name Age 100m Time
John Cooper 67 12.68s
Travis Venema 30 11.26s
Nelson Viney 58 13.98s
Hugh Coogan 70 13.37s
Total Age 225 Total Times 51.31s (for 400m)
The NSW Team (in order of running)
Bernie Condon 70 14.49s
John Van Stappen 56 12.49s
Neville McIntyre 63 12.84s
Alan Carey 55 12.52s
Total Age 244 Total Time 52.34s (for 400m)
I started the race against John Cooper and did better than could be expected (the adrenalin was working). After the baton change, John Van Stappen was only 3 to 4 m behind Travis Venema. John put in a great chase behind the 30 yr old 11.2s Venema. On the third leg Neville McIntyre had to do a fair bit of catch up and as usual “burnt up” the track in a great effort to almost catch Nelson Viney the Queensland runner. On the final leg John Carey started abut 3 to 4m behind Hugh Coogan and stormed home to win the race by 0.47s.
My analyses of the two teams above (done after the race – just as well!) shows that Queensland should have won by 1 second. Just goes to show that team tactics, safe baton changing and determination can win a relay with a slow 70 year old starting. Maybe Peter Crombie’s last minute coaching of Neville and Alan in baton changing also helped.
Now that I am an M70, I can’t expect to run an M220 Relay again. So thanks for the opportunity Alec and thank you John, Neville and Alan for the thrill of a great win.
.
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