by Larry Eder
Walt Murphy is one of the finest track geeks that I know. Walt does #ThisDayinTrack&FieldHistory, an excellent daily service that provides true geek stories about our sport. You can check out the service for FREE with a free one-month trial subscription! (email: [email protected] ) for the entire daily service. We will post a few historic moments each day, beginning February 1, 2024.
(c)Copyright 2024-all rights reserved. It may not be reprinted or retransmitted without permission.
By Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service ([email protected]), used with permission, used with permission.
This Day in Track & Field–April 13
1910–The first edition of the Drake Relays was held in a snowstorm. A chilled group of 82 competitors were barely outnumbered by a “crowd” of 100 fans.
Sports Illustrated article on Relay meets in general: https://vault.si.com/vault/1955/05/02/the-relays
Drake Site: https://godrakebulldogs.com/index.aspx?path=dr
1940–Cornelius “Dutch” Warmerdam got the first of his seven “World Records” in the Pole Vault and became the first man in history to clear 15’, getting over that exact height (4.572m) in Edwards Stadium in Berkeley, California.
While many of his seven record vaults were in good condition, the IAAF ratified only three for administrative reasons.
Dutch’s WRs (bold-ratified)
15-00 4.57 Berkeley,CA April 13,1940
15-01 1/8 4.60 Fresno,CA June 29, 1940
15-02 5/8 4.64 Stanford,CA April 12, 1941
15-04 ¼ 4.68 Compton,CA June 6, 1941
15-05 ¾ 4.72 Compton,CA June 6, 1941
15-06 7/8 4.74 Berkeley,CA May 2, 1942
15-07 ¾ 4.77 Modesto, CA May 23, 1942 (The last WR set with a bamboo pole!)
1996—Fresno State frosh Melissa Price, one of the early stars of American pole vaulting, jumped 13-5 ¼ (4.10) in Fresno to set the 9th (and last) American Record of her career. The 5’-2” Price had set her first seven records the year before as a senior at Kingsburg(CA) H.S.
Price was ranked #1 in the U.S. by Track & Field News in 1994 and 1995, but then the Stacy Dragila era kicked in later in 1996, relegating Price to the #2 position that year and in 1997 (She would remain in the top 10 through 2000).
Video:13-1 ¾ [4.10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2kV-3OCiM8
2002—Among the winners at the Arcadia (CA) H.S. Inv. were junior Allyson Felix (L.A. Baptist) in the 100 (11.54) and 200 (23.08) and sophomore Natasha Hastings (A.P. Randolph, NYC) in the 400 (53.42).
Both would have exemplary careers and became moms—Felix’s daughter Camryn was born on November 28, 2018, and Hastings’ son Liam was born on August 6, 2019.
Felix: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allyson_Felix
Hastings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natasha_Hastings
DyeStat Coverage: http://archive.dyestat.com/us/2out/arcadia/index.htm
Stats Courtesy of Mirko Jalava (https://www.tilastopaja.eu)
Felix
7 Olympic Golds–2008: 4×4; 2012: 200, 4×1, 4×4; 2016: 4×1, 4×4; 2021: 4×4
14 World Titles—’05: 200 ‘07: 200, 4×1, 4×4 ‘09: 200, 4×4 ‘11: 4×1, 4×4 ‘15: 400 ‘17: 4×1, 4×4; ’19:4×4(1st round),
Mixed 4×4; ’22-4×400 (1st round)
4 x 400m World Indoor Champion 2010
3 Olympic Silvers–2004: 200 2008: 200 2016: 400
3 World Championships Silvers–2011: 400 2015: 4×1, 4×4
1 Olympic Bronze—2021: 400
3 World Championships Bronzes–2011: 200 2017: 400 2022: mixed 4×400
PBs:7.10(2012), 10.89(2012), 21.69 (2012/#5 All-Time U.S., #9-World), 49.26 (2015/#6 All-Time U.S.)
Hastings
2 Olympic Golds–2008: 4×4 2016: 4×4
4 World Titles–2007: 4×4 2009: 4×4 2011: 4×4 2013: 4×4
3 World Indoor Titles–2010: 4×4 2014: 4×4 2016: 4×4
4 x 400m World Championships Silver Medalist 2015
4 x 400m World Indoor Silver Medalist 2012
400m World Indoor Bronze Medalist 2012
2007 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Champion-400m (South Carolina)
PBs:11.24 (2013), 22.57 (2016), 36.25i (2016), 49.84 (2007), 50.80i (2007)
2002—A day after winning the 100 (10.00w) and 200 (20.06) on his home-track at the Sea-Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tennessee sophomore Justin Gatlin helped the Vols win the 4×100 (39.08/2nd leg) and 4×400 (3:02.14/44.2-3rd leg) relays.
South Carolina set a Collegiate Record of 3:26.98 in the Women’s 4×400. Texas set the previous Record of 3:27.08 in 1999. (Tiffany Ross 53.2, Lashinda Demus 51.4, Lisa Barber 51.5, Demetria Washington 50.9)
2003—Great Britain’s Paula Radcliffe ran 2:15:25 in London to set a World Record in the Marathon. Radcliffe had set the previous mark of 2:17:18 in Chicago the previous year. Finishing third was Deena Drossin (Kastor), who ran 2:21:16 to break Joan Benoit Samuelson’s 18-year-old American Record of 2:21:21.
The confusion led to an uproar in the running community. It was feared that those records would be wiped out after the IAAF ruled in 2011 that women’s world records could not be set in mixed competition. However, the IAAF allayed fears when it said the ruling would only apply to future record alterations.
February 22, 2024.
David Monti’s Report: http://www.flotrack.org/article/30894-flashback-paula-radcliffe-s-marathon-wr
Video(last 90 seconds): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLLSKmpMKe4
http://tinyurl.com/MarathonRecords
NYRR Hall of Fame: http://www.nyrr.org/about-us/nyrr-hall-of-fame/paula-radcliffe
Radcliffe: http://www.paularadcliffe.com/
(2013): http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/apr/20/paula-radcliffe-london-marathon-record
Send-Off:
Records Controversy
