Tonight’s Millrose Games has added a unique event to it’s schedule – the Super 60. Now before you get too excited the Super 60 does not have Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay, or Asafa Powell. Matter of fact it doesn’t have Doc Patton, Daniel Bailey or current yearly leader Ivory Williams. No, the “Super 60” is a competition between Master’s sprinter Willie Gault a former Tennessee sprinter and NFL wide receiver, competing against a handful of other 30/40 year old sprinters with no name recognition in the sport. This has sparked a lot of discussion on message boards on the internet as this certainly has little to no appeal to the…

The indoor season should heat up nicely this weekend with Millrose, Karlsruhe, and the Aviva Challenge all on the schedule. Lots of big name competitors on tap with Dwight Phillips, Terrence Trammell, Veronica Campbell, Bershawn Jackson and Bernard Lagat, among others, scheduled to compete. I do think, however, that there are four events that bear watching as I expect them to produce some outstanding results. Millrose – Men’s Shot Put The men’s shot should be one HOT affair this weekend. Reigning World Champion Christian Cantwell will enter the ring against ’05 World Champion Adam Nelson, and ’07 World Champion Reese Hoffa. All three men have personal bests in excess of…

As the clock counts down to the impending return to the track of Justin Gatlin, the talk begins regarding his place among the world’s sprinting elite. After all, this is no ordinary “comeback”. This is a man that was among the best high school sprinters/hurdlers in the country (10.36/13.66) when he graduated in 2000 (= #4 in both events). He then went to the University of Tennessee where he won back to back NCAA sprint doubles as a frosh/soph and set a National Collegiate Record for 200 meters (19.86). He then went pro and following injury in his first pro season came back to win the Olympic 100 meter title…

Most have been waiting on next weekend, with Millrose and Karlsruhe on tap, for the fireworks of the indoor season to begin. Fireworks started a weekend early, however, as Georgia’s Torrin Lawrence sped his way to a collegiate record in the 300 meter dash. A 20.79/48.18 sprinter indoors last year as a freshman, Lawrence set a Collegiate Record of 32.32 in the 300 meters at the Hokie Invitational in Virginia. The mark is also the #5 mark ever indoors: 31.88 – Wallace Spearmon31.94 – Kerron Clement31.94 – LaShawn Merritt32.19 – Robson da Silva32.32 – Torrin Lawrence The time puts Lawrence in some lofty company as da Silva, the least known…

Recent news out of Washington State University is that Jeshua Anderson, former national high school record holder in the 300H, will be giving up playing both football and track in favor of just focusing on track. I would imagine that most track fans are considering this a coup of sorts for the sport as Anderson is a young rising star in the sport. The Washington State junior, has already won a World Jr championship over the 400 meter hurdles (2008), as well as NCAA championships as a frosh and soph (2008, 2009) over the barriers. He has personal bests of 48.47 over the barriers and 46.08 over the flat 400…

Within the past 48 hours Mark McGwire has confessed to what we’ve all suspected for years – that he indeed was using steroids during the best part of his career – the home run smashing, record breaking years of his career. This continues the pattern of high profile, “superior” athletes confessing after years of denial that they indeed used performance enhancers during their reign of superiority. Clearly at this point there is some sort of correlation between the performance of many of the world’s most elite or superior athletes and the use of drugs in enhancing their performance. And while I in no way intend to paint all “super” athletes…

Typically the indoor season sort of fills the time until the “real” track season starts around April. Over time its gone from being a “season” to being “filler”. For many, however, I think it could be a vital part of training. Aiding in such things as improving one’s start and early acceleration in the sprints; working on race tactics in the distances; sharpening technique in the field events. From that standpoint, there are several athletes that I feel could benefit from a strong indoor season this year – especially since there is no major championship this year. Without a Major on the schedule, athletes can afford to start their seasons…

As we close out this decade and move into the next, the most excitement the sport has coming out of the “oughts” has been the record breaking exploits of Usain Bolt, and the altering of the 100 and 200 meter sprint lists by Bolt and Tyson Gay. During the decade we also had a near record run in the 1500, record runs in the 5000, 10000, 110 hurdles, steeplechase , marathon, and decathlon. We also saw several near record performances in these events – all of which brings attention and excitement to the sport. Especially since our primary marketing plan seems to rest on the setting of records. The women,…

We enter 2010 with ’09 in the rear view mirror – and the vision in that mirror is one of a massive assault on the short sprints in 2009. Tyson Gay debuting at 19.58; becoming consistent at 9.7 (9.79w, 9.75w, 9.77, 9.71) and setting a new American Record of 9.69. Kerron Stewart (10.75, 10.75) and Shelly Ann Fraser (10.79, 10.73) with multiple 10.7’s and Carmelita Jeter (10.67, 10.64) with multiple 10.6’s. And of course a new set of WR’s (9.58, 19.19) from Usain Bolt. This being the second year in a row that we’ve seen the sprint lists sizzling, it begs the question: with the sprinters now at such an…

Happy New Year to all those that have visited my site this past year! I hope that the new year brings joy and happiness to all. Thank you for visiting in 2009, I hope you enjoyed my site in it’s first year. To show my appreciation for your support my goal is to make the site even better in 2010. May 2010 be a great year for the sport and all of its supporters!