December 12, 2025

JC's Masters Track Career: A Timeline of Highlights (& Challenges)

February, 2024: First official track practice after 40 years away from track/running. 59 (and 9 months) of age.

March 3, 2024: First track practice with the Greater Philadelphia Track Club (distance group: 5 x 500 meters, 1 x 400 meters).

March 4, 2024: On the treadmill at gym--pulled my right hamstring. Spent next three months trying to heal my leg.

May 15, 2024--I turned 60 years old.

June 4, 2024: First Masters track meet at Elliot Denman Meet in NJ. Ran 1:03 in the 400 meters!  Started the 800 meter race, but re-injured my right hamstring in the first 100 meters and I had to drop out of the race.

June 30, 2024: Competed in my second track meet, the USATF NJ (& Mid Atlantic) championship at Kean University in Union NJ. Only ran the 400--came in at 1:05.  Still trying to recover and rehab my right hamstring (which is still sore when I run at this point in time). 

July 18-21, 2024: Decided to compete at the USATF National Outdoor Championships, Sacramento, California, even though my hamstring was still not fully recovered. Competed in the 400 meters. Ran 1:01.08 in the prelim. Took third in that heat, but qualified for the final with 6th best time overall. Placed 5th in the final at 1:01.20. My hamstring was "making some noise" in both of these races, so I was grateful to make it through without re-injuring it.  Ran on the 4x400 relay on Sunday--last day of the meet. We took silver, BUT, I re-pulled/injured my hamstring in the last 50 meters or so of the race, struggled to cross the line I was in so much pain. 

Here is where I landed in the national and world ranking lists for my first outdoor season 2024 in the 400 meters: 

#57 World Ranked; #14 United States Ranked

December, 2024: Did my first workouts ever on an indoor track (we did not have indoor track in California when I was young) at UPenn's new Ott Center track. Spent the Fall (August-November) rehabbing my hamstring. Became friendly with teammate Alison Schwalm (great 400 and 800 meter runner). She hooked me up with physical therapist Dr. Josh Strait. Started incorporating targeted leg rehabbing and leg building exercises into my weekly training. Started doing more challenging workouts with her on Sundays as well. 

January 29, 2025: First Masters indoor meet--East Region Championships in Providence, R.I.  Competed in the 400 meters. Raced against the great Owen Barrett. He nudged me out for first place at 1:02.70 (him) / 1:02.90 me. It was a hard, flat track. But my hamstring did not get re-injured. 

February 8, 2025: Competed in the 4 x 400 relay at the Millrose Games. We got the gold (as the team that would have gotten gold was disqualified for a runner cutting in too soon). My split was 1:02.

February 23, 2025: Indoor Nationals in Gainsville, Florida. Only preliminary heats for the 400 meters race--medals determined by times, no final. I ran a PR, and I placed 4th in M60 at 1:00.89 (1:00.887, to be exact, which is important, because the guy who placed 5th [who was in the fastest heat, not my heat] got 1:00.889!--VERY tight!) Actually, that was Owen Barrett, the guy who beat me in January at my first indoor race in Providence. I competed in my heat against Don McEvoy, who won (placed third overall). His time was 1:00.26, which was, I found out later, a PR for him as well. He's a really nice guy, and I felt really happy for him.

March 20, 2025: Competed in my first indoor 800 meter race at the Ott Center. I was in an "open" heat (mixed genders and ages). I ran 2:30. 

March 30, 2025: Competed in the WMA World Masters Championships (again in Gainsville, Florida). I competed in the 400 meters (as well as the 4x200 meter relay and the 4x400 meter relay). First time I broke 60 seconds in the 400--I ran 59.37 in my prelim heat. This qualified me for the finals (the top 6 times from about 28 runners across 5 heats). I went into the final with the 4th best time overall. Unfortunately, the final on Sunday didn't go so well for me. I was doing GREAT, definitely running strong and on pace, but approaching the top of the last curve, my right hamstring area seized up--I thought I had I re-strained or pulled the hammy--I had to slow, which made me 6th at 1:01--the pain was pretty bad!  I was EXTREMELY disappointed and sad. The high and low I experienced in less than 24 hours was astonishing. What an amazing sport! Turns out (thanks to a diagnosis by an incredible sports massage therapist named Geoffrey Prudhomme [another awesome professional recommended to me by Alison]), it was a Baker's cyst behind my right knee that burst during the race. Painful, but at least it healed relatively quickly, in about six weeks! 

Here is where I fell in the national and world ranking lists for my first indoor season 2025 in the 400 meters and 800 meters: 

400m: #9 World Ranked; #3 United States Ranked

800m: #57 World Ranked; #16 United States Ranked

May, 2025: Started training for the outdoor 2025 season.

June 16, 2025: Competed in the USATF New York Open and Masters Meet. Terrible conditions--cold, windy, and pelting rain. I ran the 200 meters (first time since high school!) in 28.30. I ran the 400 in 1:02.39. Legs felt pretty good.

June 22, 2025: Competed in my first outdoor 800 meter race at the Elliot Denman meet at Monmouth University. Ran in 2:23.52. I ran in a heat with the great Mark Williams, who pushed me; my first 200 split was 31 seconds-ish. My first 400 split was, I think, 1:06 . . . which is fast. The second lap was really hard--I did it in 1:17-ish, so much slower than the first lap. It was hot and humid. Teammate/training buddy/de facto coach Alison ran hers in 2:25, and she looked great. 

July, 2025: USATF Masters National Championship in Huntsville, Alabama. I ran 59.60  in the 400 meter preliminary race. I ran 58.93 next day in the 400 meter final, taking the silver medal! Lost to an excellent sprinter who just aged up--David Jones (Francois Boda--who is the fastest 400 meter runner in my age group in the U.S.-- did not compete in the event due to a root canal recovery). It was a pretty competitive race--with many of the legends of my current age group competing, including super strong Peter Kashulines, Oscar Fabra, and Craig Pritchard. Saturday I ran the 800 meters. I seeded into the slower heat. I did my best, trying to run the same race as my first outdoor 800 in June. But there wasn't anyone competitive in the heat to race against (it was hot and humid, and we had been delayed due to lightening strikes like we had been before the 400 on Friday). I only ran 2:28 (disappointing--I had hoped to run under my PR of 2:23--but that's on me and my lack of experience in this event [I didn't know how to pace/push myself in lap 2, and I didn't really have enough training for this event under my belt]). The race in the fast heat was great--Peter Kashulines took it easily in 2:17. All the other runners in that heat placed, their times low 2:20s. I am happy for Peter. I had the opportunity to talk to him--super nice guy, very generous with encouragement and training suggestions.  He's a friend/teammate of Mark Williams. Those two are each powerhouses in their respective age groups. Peter (and Mark!) competed and won gold in their respective 1,500 events on Sunday! Both stellar races.  True track legends. Also, friend and teammate Alison Schwalm placed FIRST in the W45-49 800 meter race! 

Here is where I fell in the national and world ranking lists for the outdoor season 2025 in the 200, 400, and 800 meters: 

200m: #177 World Ranked; #38 United States Ranked

400m: #24 World Ranked; #6 United States Ranked

800m: #57 World Ranked; #9 United States Ranked

September, 2025: First 5k race: 22:14

October, 2025: Second 5k race: 20:54

November, 2025: Indoor track season training starts!

*Ending this year with gratitude and joy. I am so grateful I found my way back to the track after what was essentially a whole lifetime away. I never dreamed I would have the chance to feel the excitement of competition, the challenge of training, and the fun of running with teammates later in life. This whole experiment has completely changed my relationship to my own body (and mind!). Age, or aging, has essentially been erased in my consciousness. I feel like a teenager again when I'm training and racing. I have a newfound appreciation for my ability to run and honor my physical body. And, in turn, seeing this miracle alive in other Masters track athletes is inspiring and reaffirming. I feel very lucky and happy (at age 61 & 1/2!) to be having this experience. I'm grateful I have kept this blog, even (or especially?) if it's just for me. (Though I thank all the friends and track fans who have stopped along the way to have a look and share in my journey, my successes and my struggles!--this blog has had over 10,000 views since I started it a year and half ago!)  I don't know what the future holds for "Sprinting at 60"--not sure I will continue this blog in 2026, or if I'll start a new one as I head further into my sixties and explore more middle distance events. But I appreciate the anchor and record this blog has given me. Again, thanks for stopping by, track fans!