{"id":451,"date":"2011-03-02T11:50:00","date_gmt":"2011-03-02T19:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=451"},"modified":"2011-03-02T11:50:00","modified_gmt":"2011-03-02T19:50:00","slug":"transition-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=451","title":{"rendered":"Transition Time!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"image\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s March, and while there are still a couple of major indoor meets to get out of the way (Euro Champs and NCAA Champs) we\u2019re finally headed outdoors! <\/p>\n

All over the world we\u2019ll start getting good old outdoor competition. And for a track junkie like me that\u2019s awesome news. From local high school, community college, and college and university meets, to the early season \u201crelay\u201d competitions, there will be plenty of track and field to watch as we finally get from \u201cundercover\u201d and out on the 400 meter ovals.<\/p>\n

Of course now is the time of year that separates the \u201creal\u201d fans from those who are just interested in seeing \u201conly the best\u201d. Because sightings of the truly elite will still be several weeks away, and typically if we do see them this month it will be in \u201coff\u201d events.<\/p>\n

For example the 400 has become a favorite early season race of many non quarter milers. David Rudisha (45.50) used it last year to set up his spectacular season. And several of the world\u2019s elite sprinters have been using it for years to jump start their seasons \u2013 including Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, Wallace Spearmon and others. So don\u2019t be surprised if the first results you see from the world\u2019s best sprinters begin with the number \u201c4\u201d.<\/p>\n

So, just what kind of results should we expect to see during this transition month? Actually pretty good. For one reason, elite athletes often put up solid marks in their \u201csecondary\u201d events. Secondly, by the end of the month even the brief forays of the elite into their pet events can produce some eye popping results. Finally we tend to forget that there are other athletes out there besides the \u201cname\u201d athletes \u2013 and many are trying to make a name for themselves before the \u201cstars\u201d come out to outshine them. <\/p>\n

Which makes it a real good time to get out and watch the competition. Especially with Worlds on the line this year. There will be many athletes trying to position themselves to make their teams \u2013 and they\u2019ll be looking to late March and early April meets to tell them how their training is going and where they need to tweak. <\/p>\n

And while April tends to be the month where results really explode, there have been some fairly outstanding marks turned in during the month of March. I went through some all time lists to try and sort out the best marks by event that were turned in during March. I was surprised at just how good athletes have performed this early in the season. Following is the list of \u201cBest March Performances\u201d that I came up with. If you are aware of corrections please let me know.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Event<\/strong><\/td>\nMark<\/strong><\/td>\nAthlete<\/strong><\/td>\nDate<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
100<\/td>\n10.02<\/td>\nDeji Aliu<\/td>\n3\/18\/95 **<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
200<\/td>\n20.10A<\/td>\nMichael Johnson<\/td>\n3\/19\/99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
400<\/td>\n44.59A<\/td>\nArnaud Malherbe<\/td>\n3\/19\/99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
800<\/td>\n1:43.15<\/td>\nDavid Rudisha<\/td>\n3\/4\/10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1500<\/td>\n3:32.53<\/td>\nWilliam Chirchir<\/td>\n3\/2\/00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5000<\/td>\n12:58.19<\/td>\nCraig Mottram<\/td>\n3\/20\/06<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10000<\/td>\n27:43.89<\/td>\nShadrick Hoff<\/td>\n3\/6\/96<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3000 st<\/td>\n8:14.41<\/td>\nWander do Prado Moura<\/td>\n3\/22\/95<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
110HH<\/td>\n13.22<\/td>\nColin Jackson<\/td>\n3\/14.96<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
400 IH<\/td>\n48.05<\/td>\nLouis Van Zyl<\/td>\n3\/23\/06<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HJ<\/td>\n7\u2019 10.5\u201d<\/td>\nJavier Sotomayor<\/td>\n3\/12\/89<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PV<\/td>\n19\u2019 8.75\u201d<\/td>\nOkert Brits<\/td>\n3\/15\/96<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LJ<\/td>\n27\u2019 10.75\u201d<\/td>\nIvan Pedroso<\/td>\n3\/19\/95<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TJ<\/td>\n57\u2019 11.75\u201d<\/td>\nYoelbi Quesada<\/td>\n3\/24\/95<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SP<\/td>\n71\u2019 8\u201d<\/td>\nReese Hoffa<\/td>\n3\/25\/07<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Disc<\/td>\n232\u2019 11\u201d<\/td>\nVirgilijus Alekna<\/td>\n3\/30\/01<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ham<\/td>\n269\u2019 11\u201d<\/td>\nAleksy Zagornyi<\/td>\n3\/9\/02<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jav<\/td>\n308\u2019 5\u201d<\/td>\nJan Zelezny<\/td>\n3\/26\/97<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dec<\/td>\n8412<\/td>\nLeonel Suarez<\/td>\n3\/7\/09<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

** Note that Maurice Greene ran sub10 (9.99) on February 28, 1998. Missing March by a day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Event<\/strong><\/td>\nMark<\/strong><\/td>\nAthlete<\/strong><\/td>\nDate<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
 <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
100<\/td>\n10.97<\/td>\nEvelyn Ashford<\/td>\n3\/8\/82<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
200<\/td>\n21.84A<\/td>\nMarion Jones<\/td>\n3\/19\/99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
400<\/td>\n49.87A<\/td>\nCharity Opara<\/td>\n3\/27\/98<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
800<\/td>\n1:58.16<\/td>\nKenia Sinclair<\/td>\n3\/24\/06<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1500<\/td>\n4:01.81<\/td>\nZola Budd<\/td>\n3\/31\/84<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5000<\/td>\n14:46.60<\/td>\nWang Chunmei<\/td>\n3\/26\/98<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10000<\/td>\n31:18.07<\/td>\nLisa Koll<\/td>\n3\/26\/10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3000 st<\/td>\n9:19.51<\/td>\nDorcus Inzikuru<\/td>\n3\/22\/06<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
100 HH<\/td>\n12.65<\/td>\nBridgett Foster Hylton<\/td>\n3\/23\/06<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
400 IH<\/td>\n54.10A<\/td>\nSurita Febbraio<\/td>\n3\/16\/01<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
HJ<\/td>\n6\u2019 7\u201dA<\/td>\nMonika Iagar<\/td>\n3\/16\/98<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PV<\/td>\n15\u2019 1.75\u201d<\/td>\nKym Howe<\/td>\n3\/26\/06<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LJ<\/td>\n22\u2019 11.75\u201d<\/td>\nBronwyn Thompson<\/td>\n3\/7\/02<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TJ<\/td>\n48\u2019 1.25\u201d<\/td>\nMable Gay<\/td>\n3\/8\/07<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SP<\/td>\n68\u2019 10.5\u201d<\/td>\nIvanka Khristova<\/td>\n3\/26\/76<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Disc<\/td>\n231\u2019 3\u201d<\/td>\nMaritza Marten<\/td>\n3\/4\/89<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ham<\/td>\n246\u2019 11\u201d<\/td>\nBetty Heidler<\/td>\n3\/12\/10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jav<\/td>\n223\u2019 10<\/td>\nOsleidys Menendez<\/td>\n3\/5\/04<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hept<\/td>\n6396<\/td>\nKelly Sotherton<\/td>\n3\/22\/06<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

So I think we have a lot to look forward to as we head outdoors. The meets in Australia and South Africa have traditionally given us the top early results. And tomorrow we get things kicked off with a meet in Melbourne! The Melbourne line up includes Valerie Adams (NZL) in the shot put; David Rudisha (KEN) in the 800; a mile field that includes Asbel Kiprop (KEN), Nick Willis (NZL) and Alan Webb (US); and a super 5000 field with Craig Mottram (AUS), Bernard Lagat (US), Matt Tegenkamp (US) and Chris Solisnsky (US)! Not a bad way to kick off the month of March. <\/p>\n

Start lists for Melbourne can e found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s March, and while there are still a couple of major indoor meets to get out of the way (Euro Champs and NCAA Champs) we\u2019re finally headed outdoors! All over the world we\u2019ll start getting good old outdoor competition. And for a track junkie like me that\u2019s awesome news. From local high school, community college, and college and university meets, to the early season \u201crelay\u201d competitions, there will be plenty of track and field to watch as we finally get from \u201cundercover\u201d and out on the 400 meter ovals. Of course now is the time of year that separates the \u201creal\u201d fans from those who are just interested in seeing \u201conly the best\u201d. Because sightings of the truly elite will still be several weeks away, and typically if we do see them this month it will be in \u201coff\u201d events. For example the 400 has become a favorite early season race of many non quarter milers. David Rudisha (45.50) used it last year to set up his spectacular season. And several of the world\u2019s elite sprinters have been using it for years to jump start their seasons \u2013 including Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, Wallace Spearmon and others. So don\u2019t be surprised if the first results you see from the world\u2019s best sprinters begin with the number \u201c4\u201d. So, just what kind of results should we expect to see during this transition month? Actually pretty good. For one reason, elite athletes often put up solid marks in their \u201csecondary\u201d events. Secondly, by the end of the month even the brief forays of the elite into their pet events can produce some eye popping results. Finally we tend to forget that there are other athletes out there besides the \u201cname\u201d athletes \u2013 and many are trying to make a name for themselves before the \u201cstars\u201d come out to outshine them. Which makes it a real good time to get out and watch the competition. Especially with Worlds on the line this year. There will be many athletes trying to position themselves to make their teams \u2013 and they\u2019ll be looking to late March and early April meets to tell them how their training is going and where they need to tweak. And while April tends to be the month where results really explode, there have been some fairly outstanding marks turned in during the month of March. I went through some all time lists to try and sort out the best marks by event that were turned in during March. I was surprised at just how good athletes have performed this early in the season. Following is the list of \u201cBest March Performances\u201d that I came up with. If you are aware of corrections please let me know.   Event Mark Athlete Date         100 10.02 Deji Aliu 3\/18\/95 ** 200 20.10A Michael Johnson 3\/19\/99 400 44.59A Arnaud Malherbe 3\/19\/99 800 1:43.15 David Rudisha 3\/4\/10 1500 3:32.53 William Chirchir 3\/2\/00 5000 12:58.19 Craig Mottram 3\/20\/06 10000 27:43.89 Shadrick Hoff 3\/6\/96 3000 st 8:14.41 Wander do Prado Moura 3\/22\/95 110HH 13.22 Colin Jackson 3\/14.96 400 IH 48.05 Louis Van Zyl 3\/23\/06 HJ 7\u2019 10.5\u201d Javier Sotomayor 3\/12\/89 PV 19\u2019 8.75\u201d Okert Brits 3\/15\/96 LJ 27\u2019 10.75\u201d Ivan Pedroso 3\/19\/95 TJ 57\u2019 11.75\u201d Yoelbi Quesada 3\/24\/95 SP 71\u2019 8\u201d Reese Hoffa 3\/25\/07 Disc 232\u2019 11\u201d Virgilijus Alekna 3\/30\/01 Ham 269\u2019 11\u201d Aleksy Zagornyi 3\/9\/02 Jav 308\u2019 5\u201d Jan Zelezny 3\/26\/97 Dec 8412 Leonel Suarez 3\/7\/09 ** Note that Maurice Greene ran sub10 (9.99) on February 28, 1998. Missing March by a day.   Event Mark Athlete Date         100 10.97 Evelyn Ashford 3\/8\/82 200 21.84A Marion Jones 3\/19\/99 400 49.87A Charity Opara 3\/27\/98 800 1:58.16 Kenia Sinclair 3\/24\/06 1500 4:01.81 Zola Budd 3\/31\/84 5000 14:46.60 Wang Chunmei 3\/26\/98 10000 31:18.07 Lisa Koll 3\/26\/10 3000 st 9:19.51 Dorcus Inzikuru 3\/22\/06 100 HH 12.65 Bridgett Foster Hylton 3\/23\/06 400 IH 54.10A Surita Febbraio 3\/16\/01 HJ 6\u2019 7\u201dA Monika Iagar 3\/16\/98 PV 15\u2019 1.75\u201d Kym Howe 3\/26\/06 LJ 22\u2019 11.75\u201d Bronwyn Thompson 3\/7\/02 TJ 48\u2019 1.25\u201d Mable Gay 3\/8\/07 SP 68\u2019 10.5\u201d Ivanka Khristova 3\/26\/76 Disc 231\u2019 3\u201d Maritza Marten 3\/4\/89 Ham 246\u2019 11\u201d Betty Heidler 3\/12\/10 Jav 223\u2019 10 Osleidys Menendez 3\/5\/04 Hept 6396 Kelly Sotherton 3\/22\/06 So I think we have a lot to look forward to as we head outdoors. The meets in Australia and South Africa have traditionally given us the top early results. And tomorrow we get things kicked off with a meet in Melbourne! The Melbourne line up includes Valerie Adams (NZL) in the shot put; David Rudisha (KEN) in the 800; a mile field that includes Asbel Kiprop (KEN), Nick Willis (NZL) and Alan Webb (US); and a super 5000 field with Craig Mottram (AUS), Bernard Lagat (US), Matt Tegenkamp (US) and Chris Solisnsky (US)! Not a bad way to kick off the month of March. Start lists for Melbourne can e found here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa3DCY-7h","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":292,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=292","url_meta":{"origin":451,"position":0},"title":"Spring Track and Field","author":"CHill","date":"March 24, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Such a quiet week in the sport. Coming off the indoor season it takes a minute before the elite athletes really begin to roll. We probably won't see them really hit their stride until some time after the Penn Relays in late April. So what to do til then?No brainer\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 1 comment","block_context":{"text":"With 1 comment","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=292#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"Track and Field: Nike Outdoor Nationals","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cdn.picapp.com\/ftp\/Images\/8\/a\/4\/7\/Track_and_Field_0d27.JPG?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":457,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=457","url_meta":{"origin":451,"position":1},"title":"A Return to Collegiate Dual\/Triangulars!","author":"CHill","date":"March 18, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Reading through the news a couple days ago, I came across this article referencing UCLA\u2019s return to a dual\/triangular meet schedule as opposed to running primarily in \u201cinvitational\u201d meets. I am hoping that this is successful for UCLA and it\u2019s track program, and that the result will see other prominent\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"image","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lh3.ggpht.com\/_q69RXDGKhjE\/TYNgrSD6kTI\/AAAAAAAAAIg\/OA2peEdG4vk\/image_thumb.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1862,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=1862","url_meta":{"origin":451,"position":2},"title":"We (USA) Need to Utilize Better Venues","author":"CHill","date":"May 27, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This was supposed to be one HOT weekend of track and field. The NCAA was hosting its Regional \"meets\" and the third round of the Diamond League was taking place in New York. Yet after all was said and done, I came away from the weekend realizing why the sport\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 10 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 10 comments","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=1862#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"Me for Blog pic","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/Me-for-Blog-pic_thumb.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":135,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=135","url_meta":{"origin":451,"position":3},"title":"What Happened to the Dual Meet?","author":"CHill","date":"April 14, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"As the sport continues to try and find ways to market itself and improve its popularity, I continue to wonder why it simply doesn't look at what has worked in the past! After all, track and field is not some new sport trying to find its way. We're as old\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2033,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=2033","url_meta":{"origin":451,"position":4},"title":"Saturday, A Day of Track and Field","author":"CHill","date":"April 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In the year 2014 we finally got what I've always known TV could give us -\u00a0 a full day of track & field! The thought of watching track all day on television has been a dream of mine forever.There is an old saying however, be careful what you ask for,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Bromwell\"","block_context":{"text":"Bromwell","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?tag=bromwell"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lashawn Merritt","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Lashawn-Merritt_thumb.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1143,"url":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=1143","url_meta":{"origin":451,"position":5},"title":"We Need Internet Presentation Standards","author":"CHill","date":"May 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I often wonder why this sport has such a difficult time marketing itself because we live in the age of the Internet - and dispersing information is as simple as clicking a few buttons. But then I log on and try to get information on a track meet - and\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/?p=1143#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"Start Duo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/trackchill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/Start-Duo_thumb.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/451\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/trackchill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}