You, your mother, and maybe your grandmother can be inspired by the results this week-end at The National Masters Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here is the website.

It may be hard to witness a record at the Olympics, but at the national masters championships, world and American records are set more often. The potential of the masters athlete – and the female masters athlete especially – is still up for grabs.

Women from their 30s to their 80s are among more than 800 athletes competing in both track and field events. Here are some the women runners to watch this week-end. They’re the following reigning world indoor masters track champions:

W35 Latrica Dendy (200, 400, 800)
W35 Isabelle Dierauer (60, 200, long jump, triple jump, shot put)
W35 Latashia Key (800, mile, 3000)
W40 Lisa Daley (60, 200, 400, 60 hurdles)
W40 Maryline Roux (200, 400)
W45 Sheryl Miller (mile, 3000)
W45 Gail Kuhnly (60, 200,400)
W45 Patricia Porter (60 hurdles, high jump, long jump, shot put)
W45 Susan Wiemer (60 hurdles, shot put, pentathlon)
W50 Julie Hayden (400, 800)
W50 Liz Palmer (60, 200, 60 hurdles)
W50 Joy Upshaw (60, 200, 60 hurdles, long jump)
W55 Linda Cohn (60, long jump, triple jump, shot put, weight, superweight)
W55 Rita Hanscom (60, 200, 400, 60 hurdles, high jump, pole vault, long jump, pentathlon)
W55 Kathryn Martin (800, mile, 3000)
W60 Brenda Matthews (60, 200, long jump, shot put)
W60 Phil Raschker (60, 200, 60 hurdles, high jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump)
W70 Jeanne Daprano (60, 200, 400, 800)
W75 Christel Donley (high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put, pentathlon)
W75 Mary Harada (800, mile, 3000)
W75 Mary Roman (60, high jump, shot put, weight, superweight) and
W85 Johnnye Valien (60, long jump, shot put, weight)

A scan age groups from 30 to 80 plus shows an age group bell curve, with most event entries from the 60 meters to the 3 kilometer run in the 50 to 54 age category (54 entries). The second greatest number of entries in those events are among W 45 – 49 (42), followed by W 55 – 59 and W 40 -44 (both 34), W 60 -64 (29), W30 – 34 (20), and W65 – 69 (13), W 75 – 59 (10), and W 70 – 74 (6) and W 85 – 89 (3). In quite a number of cases, of course, women in each age group have entered several events.

Particularly inspiring is the fact that five women in the 65 to 69 age group have entered the 60 meter hurdles! Koudos to Carolyn McCormick, Sharon Raham, Rhona Trott, Mary Trotto, and world champion Phil Raschker!