David Carruthers

Big River Running Festival of Miles Men’s Masters Mile

I ran my first race on the track for over 35 years last night! It was fun and I am thrilled at the result, the Big River Running Festival of Miles Masters Mile is for qualifying athletes 40 years and over! It was just fantastic to be running on a bill that included a men’s elite Mile with US 2008 Olympian Leo Manzano leading a strong field set to run the first sub 04:00 mile in Missouri since 1963! Leo won in Pr of 03:54, with two other runners sub 04:00 minutes.

With over 1000 fans in attendance we lined up at 7:50pm, I was set to run a PR and hoping to get as close to 05:00 minute mile as possible. The first lap was fast and furious with a lead runner stretching the felid, I went through the 409 meters in 71 seconds, settled down in the second lap with a 74 second 400 meters, the 3rd lap, traditionally the toughest lap in a mile race was not to disappoint me! I dug in hard to come through in 81 seconds, I galvanized my self for the next 200 meters and hung on for my life, with 150 to go I made an effort to kick home, going past a runner gave me an impetus to sprint down the home straight only to find myself locked stride for stride over the last 25 meters with my fellow runner, just losing out to the faster younger man!

I tough run, but a PR no less, by 6 seconds, 05:12. The effort good enough to be categorized as USA National standard for gage 50 -54 and enough of a taste to give me the strength to keep working hard, with the goal of running a sub 5:00 min mile before the end of the summer.

The official Race result and a race video can be viewed in the links below

http://www.bigriverrunning.com/Festival%20of%20Miles.htm

http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view_video/235064-big-river-festival-of-miles/181709-mens-masters-mile

As a reward for my efforts last night I was able to join Leo Manzano on our Long Run this morning, we ran from Forest Park St Louis to the Arch and back, it is not every day you get to run shoulder to shoulder with an Olympian especially when you are 51!

David Carruthers 24th May 2009

http://www.davidcarruthers.com