A year ago this week I was in Torun, Poland for the World Masters Athletics (WMA) championships. And while I’ve done write-ups on some forums and put up pictures on Instagram and Facebook, this the first time here. With everything else shut down for who knows how long (June or July maybe for racing), this might be a good time for some reflection and a few photos.
Background: Getting There
I entered 2019 with a plan and the championships were not part of that. It just seemed too far to travel and too much time. However, in late January final calls for entries piled into my email in-box and I gave it some thought. The best selling point USA Track and Field Masters advertised that if you had a top 6 world ranking at any distance in 2018 they could help subsidize your trip, and if you won medals in Torun they’d throw in some more. So I took the bait, sent out a couple of emails and a day later had a plane ticket and new plan.
The trip itself was long, some 28 hours from take off in Denver to getting to my hotel (a dorm at a Catholic college), but all went well. Had a few days to adjust to the time and environment, and I took in the opening ceremonies and first day of competition on their world class indoor arena.
Ready, Set!
I would be running “non-stadia” (outside) events and entered the 8K XC, 10K road race, and half marathon, with the plan of doing two of those three. First up, on Monday was the 8K XC. I don’t recall much about getting ready, other than being excited but not overly so. Looking at seed times (roads) I figured a top 5 was a reasonable goal, but had no idea how that would really play out. One thing I do recall is listening to Led Zeppelin’s Battle of Evermore on my iPad moments before heading out the door and catching the bus to the venue.
It was a cool and blustery morning with temperatures in the high 30s F and a good breeze. Some rain kicked in during my warm up, but that let up about a half hour before we were to line up. The course was a winding 2K loop through a wooded park adjacent to the stadium. Each lap featured about a dozen sharp turns and three notable hills. And two of those had 30 meter sand traps that you had to run through or skirt the side on narrow but bumpy moss-covered earth.
Go!
The pictures here tell most of the story. About 35 of us lined up. The course narrowed two two wide after only some 50 meters. I got bumped back to about 10th place for about a half kilometer before we opened up on a flat stretch by a fitness park, with room to pass. By the time I got through in about 5th or 6th place, the two leaders had broken out a good 20 meters ahead. And their lead would grow through the lap. I could only bide my time in 5th place (2nd photo, on the top) and didn’t want to sprint to catch them.
At the end of the lap I caught the Polish runner and passed him, still a good 40 meters back from the leaders. But come back they did! By half way through the second lap I had regained contact and the race for the medals was on.
Both Tommy, from Ireland, and Jukka, from Finland were strong and wily cross country runners, throwing in surges and taking the corners and hills with skill. I hung behind them most of the next lap, but tried to take the lead by the fitness equipment. Only was able to hold on momentarily. A half kilometer later (5.5K into the race) Jukka just took off on a rooted downhill, and Tommy and I could not match that pace on the rough terrain. So it was now a race for Silver and Bronze.
Back and forth we went. Tommy throwing in several surges and getting a gap. Somehow, I’d fight my way back. And we’d do it again. On the last lap I put in my own surge or two but could not drop him. On the last steep hill with the sand trap, he went right. I went left and stepped into to the middle of the sand, a foot or more deep. Lost my momentum and he had 5 seconds on me by the time we crested. That was enough to hold me off. But what a race! I was thrilled to get a Bronze medal, and made some friends in the process.
1 KAUPPILA J. Finland FIN 30:13
2 PAYNE T. Ireland IRL 30:33
3 SAYRE R. United States of America USA 30:37
rrunnin234 