2005 Masters Committee Report for the BC Athletics AGM

Masters membership in BC Athletics was 367 in 2005, down from 390 in 2004. Total number of members over the age of 40 was 1412. Next year the Masters numbers should be higher with the 35 year old men and women joining the masters ranks.

The CeeVAC Jaguars T&F Club in Duncan is to be thanked for hosting the BC Masters T&F Championships this year. Special thanks go to Bev DiIorio and her committee for all of their hard work in making the event a success. Participation was good. We had 67 men and 21 ladies enter a total of 232 events.

A significant part of the BCA programs for masters are the road and cross country series held in various parts for the province. Masters participation for many races is now over 50% of the total entries. Included in this year's program were BC Championships in Cross Country, 5K, 10K and Half Marathon Road Races.

A highlight of the Track and Field season for many BC Athletes were the World Masters Games held in Edmonton in July and the World Masters T&F Championships held in Spain in late August.

The Semiahmoo Sun Runners hosted the annual Canada vs USA Masters Cross Country Challenge in November. This event is held annually, rotating between Vancouver, Toronto, Seattle and Syracuse (or somewhere close). In the cross country scoring within 5 year age categories, the USA and Canadian men tied, but the Canadian ladies easily outscored their competitors for a Canadian victory.

Completing the season was the successful defense of the Bluenose Trophy, symbolic of the Canadian Masters Cross Country Championship. BC Athletics again sponsored a very strong team for the Canadian Championships in Vancouver.

In addition to all of the events that BC Athletics sanctions for Masters age athletes (Road Running, T&F, and Cross Country) Masters athletes have two international events to participate in next year. The WMA World Indoor Championships will be held in Linz, Austria on March 15-20 and the NCCWMA T&F Championships will be held in December in Guatamala City, Guatamala. The Canadian Masters T&F Championships will be held in Moncton NB on July 21-23.

Thanks go to all of the members of the Masters Committee. Active members were Jake Madderom (Chair), Gerry Dragomir (Secretary), Frank Stebner (Vice-chair), Bill Hooker (Communcations), Harold Morioka (T&F and Records), George Gluppe (T&F and Road Running), Val Jenkinson, and Olga Kotelko.

Special thanks go to Maurice Wilson for updating the Road Records and to Harold Morioka for updating the Masters Track and Fields records.

Submitted by:
Jake Madderom