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You are here: Home / About the CMA / History

History

History of the CMA

The beginning of the CMA (known as the CMAA pre-2011) dates from 1972, when a group of enthusiastic “over 40” Canadian runners went to Europe to find fun and competition. Some, including Don Farquharson (1925-2000), one of the group’s leaders, were experienced athletes, while others were just discovering the sport.

That group, then known as the “Canadian International Track Team”, became the nucleus of a national organization and, most importantly, inspired many local running groups. By 1974, there was sufficient interest across the country to justify a National Masters Track & Field Championship, held in Richmond, British Columbia.

In 1975, Canada hosted the first ever World Track & Field (Stadia) Championship for over 40s, in Toronto. Marathon and Cross Country were also on the menu, as they continue to be for the WMA Championships. All those who attended that first meet shared an enthusiasm and sense of discovery, which led to the formation of the World Association of Veteran Athletes (WAVA), which was chaired by Don Farquharson for twelve years, until 1987. Since then, we have met every two years, in various locations around the world. In 2007, we met in Riccione, Italy; in 2009, in Lahti, Finland; in 2011, we will meet in Sacramento, California; and in 2013, we will meet in Porto Alegré, Brazil. The world joins us, in increasing numbers at every meet, and novices experience just as much fun, excitement and satisfaction as the internationally-known stars. The name of WAVA was changed to the World Masters Athletics (“WMA”) in 2001.

WMA also added a Road Racing/ Race Walking (Non-Stadia) Championship, which had been held in the years when the Stadia Championships weren’t held. In 1994, these Road Races were held in Scarborough, Ontario, while the 2004 events, the last held, were in Auckland, New Zealand. Also in even-numbered years, Regional WMA Track & Field Championships are held around the world. The most recent such event for our region (North & Central America & the Caribbean) was held in August, 2008 in Florida. In March, 2004, for the first time, a WMA Indoor Track & Field Championship was held, and the latest Indoor Championship was held in March, 2008, in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The next such Indoor Championship is being held in March, 2010, in Kamloops, British Columbia.

But the international scene is just the tip of the iceberg. The biggest developments have been at home. Since those early days, we have seen public acceptance of the idea of being fit at all ages, and our members continue to inspire. We are pleased to see so many race and meet organizers now routinely include “masters” categories, although not always in the same five-year age groups which we have found appropriate. The CMAA, through “Provincial Directors”, maintains links with the provinces, and Provincial Championships are held in many provinces each year.

A Brief History of the CMAA

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Recent Event Photos

David Guss - AB
David Guss - AB17-Jul-2011 12:22, Canon Canon EOS 7D, 5.6, 200.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 125
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Ming Tsai - ON
Ming Tsai - ON13-Jul-2011 10:30, Canon Canon EOS 30D, 5.6, 85.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 1600
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Jean-Francois Fillion - PQ
Jean-Francois Fillion - PQ07-Jul-2011 11:06, Canon Canon EOS 7D, 5.6, 135.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 200
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Doug - Photographer
Doug - Photographer
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Johanna Flipsen - AB
Johanna Flipsen - AB07-Jul-2011 21:40, Canon Canon EOS 7D, 5.6, 125.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200
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Peter O'Neil - USA
Peter O'Neil - USA09-Jul-2011 21:25, Canon Canon EOS 7D, 4.0, 95.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 320
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Sandy Anderson - BC
Sandy Anderson - BC13-Jul-2011 13:45, Canon Canon EOS 7D, 7.1, 110.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 200
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Kris Kozell - ON
Kris Kozell - ON07-Jul-2011 21:54, Canon Canon EOS 7D, 3.2, 108.0mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 200
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Matthew Duncan - USA
Matthew Duncan - USA08-Jul-2011 10:36, Canon Canon EOS 7D, 5.0, 140.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 160
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John Hawkins - BC
John Hawkins - BC12-Jul-2011 11:14, Canon Canon EOS 7D, 5.0, 200.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 125
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Gilles Bourgeois - PQ
Gilles Bourgeois - PQ17-Jul-2011 12:41, Canon Canon EOS 7D, 5.6, 80.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 125
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Erin Bevans - BC
Erin Bevans - BC11-Jul-2011 14:09, Canon Canon EOS 7D, 5.6, 80.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 125
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Canadian Masters

Membership in the CMA is open to anyone who is interested in masters and sub-masters fitness. By agreement with the WMA and the IAAF, “Masters” are defined as women and men 35 and over.

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