Great day on Sunday for the 35^th annual running of the OMA Sunnybrook 8K Cross Country. Three Course Records were broken.

Canada’s top marathoner, M30 Reid Coolsaet led from the gun. Reid smashed the 26:42 M30 Course Record with an outstanding 25:23

2nd place finisher Mike Gill of Physi-Kult also broke the M30 CR with a 26:03 finishing time.

Mario Iozzo ran 26:42 – which tied his previous M30 CR.

W55 Dawn Hamel ran a 36:05 – breaking Linda Findley’s 36:40 CR set in 2004.

M55 Jerry Kooymans broke Bob Moore’s 30:41 CR set in 1998, with a fine 29:17. Jerry’s 86.18% Age Graded score was the highest in the race – winning a gift certificate from our sponsor The Runners Shop

The Newmarket Huskies continued their domination of the OMA Club Cross Country Series for the Jim Breslin Cup.

The Gala was held in Toronto on Saturday, October 30th. The Ontario Masters presented their Athlete of the Year Awards as well as inducting six people into the Ontario Masters Hall of Fame.

The Gala concluded with the Athletes Of The Year presentations (L-R);

Karla Del Grande – Ontario Masters Female Athlete of the Year

Earl Fee – Ontario Masters Male Athlete of the Year

Priscilla Lopes-Schliep – Athletics Ontario Athlete of the Year

We also presented the Ontario Masters Athlete of the Year Awards (L-R) Maria Mallia – Jumps, Don Ritchie – Combined, Earl Fee – Sprints, Jerry Kooymans – Distance, The Pres, Rhona Trott – Combined, Karla Del Grande – Sprints, Elizabeth Hill – Throws
(unable to attend; Geoff Outerbridge – Jumps, Gintas Degutis – Throws, Sherry Watts – Distance) Winners stats and runners up are posted on the ‘About The OMA’ page.

Brian Keaveney, Stuart Summerhayes, and Bob Moore were present for their induction into the Ontario Masters Hall of Fame.

See the Hall of Fame page (under About The OMA) for a full list of the 2010 inductees and details about all of the Hall of Fame members.

W30 Chantal Warriner of the Newmarket Huskies broke Shari Boyle’s 18:58 CR from 2004 with a 18:48 finish time

M50 Chris Deighan, of the Newmarket Huskies, ran a 17:19 which was a 85.18% the highest Age Grade in the race

W60 Claire Prest of the Longboat Roadrunners broke teammate Wendi Hanger’s 30:37 CR with a time of 27:33

M75 Donald Banks finished in 27:52, breaking Ralph Lang’s 29:19 CR set last year.

M80 Ralph Lang ran 29:29….breaking his own CR of 29:40 that he set last year…..which broke his own CR of 30:28 that he set in 2008 !!!!

Enews – September 13

We hosted the 39th Annual Canadian Masters Championships at the Toronto Track & Field Center this weekend.
Great turnout – Great weather – Great Banquet (thanks to Lynn Bourque). Results and over 1100 photos are posted.
Check out the RESULTS page…..highlighting 25 Canadian Records and almost 30 Meet Records !!

A special thanks to all of the officials and volunteers who worked so hard to make the meet a success.
We look forward to improving a few things to make it an even better meet – as we are hosting the 2011 Canadian Masters Championships.

Next year will be a unique opportunity for Ontario members to enjoy a virtual festival of track & field…
Ontario Masters Championships – Varsity Centre, Toronto
Canadian Masters Championships – Varsity Centre, Toronto
USATF Masters Championships – Cleveland (5 hours from Toronto)
World Championships – Sacramento July 7-17 We should have a giant Team Canada.

M45 Mike Sherar broke the CAN 800m record last night at

Varsity Center – the home of next year’s Championships. Mike ran an outstanding 1:55.34 – breaking his own 1:57.04 set last year. He’s getting closer to Sal Allah’s 1:54.18 World Record! Mike is one of the UTTC Masters Coaches, as well as the Canadian Masters Communications Director.
Ontario Masters Hall of Fame member Brian Oxley sends this shot of Keith Kerr, one of the first OMA Presidents.

Brian does his sculling from the dock…to the inspiring pipes !

In it for the Long Run

By Robert Moore

In 1980 I turned 40 years of age and so became a “Master” athlete. To compete in age group races holds no attraction for some of my former rivals. Why I race and they do not depends on why they raced in the first place. I run because I like it and I find training and racing infinitely variable and interesting. However to get satisfaction from it I do not have to win. My critics would point to my six times second place finish at the Round the Bay Race, Hamilton as evidence of this “loser attitude”.

For me the most important part of running and racing are the memories that they cause. I have had some astonishing even bizarre experiences and one day will write some of them down. But, for now, I recall the sheer joy of running flat out the last leg of an Ontario Masters team in the Jaspar to Banff relay in 1989. There were no competitors in sight ahead or behind, no spectators, race officials or even passers by. I was on a little used road by the Vermillion Lakes as the sun came up over the Rockies. It was a glorious experience – beyond price – may you all have such moments.

As a Master I have raced in World Championships in Brugges (Belgium), Brisbane (Australia), Melbourne (Australia), Newcastle (England), Turku (Finland) and at the foot of Mount Fuiji in Japan. Each event introduced me to a part of the world that I had not known before and made me new friends. Why should I stop now?

Speaking of the World’s in Sacramento next year….

The loudmouth OMA President (L) was spouting off about how the Ontario athletes were going to kick Alberta’s %$# at last winter’s Indoor World Championships in Kamloops. A small wager was placed between said Loudmouth and the Alberta Masters Pres Donna Dixon (R). As previously reported, the Westerners cleaned our clocks!!
As loser of the bet, the Vegan was forced to wear an “I Love Alberta Beef” T shirt during Sunday’s meet!

The bet is on for Sacramento. Now come on people… we have to rally all our members or we face disgrace and humiliation at the hands of these Western Cowboys and Cowgirls yet again…and your President will be forced to….( I can’t even speak the words. It’s got something to do with HAIR! )

The provincial championships were held at the Toronto Track & Field Centre at York University on Sunday, June 27th, 2010. A field of 194 masters athletes took part—among them, many of our friends from the States and athletes from as far away as Australia.
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