The WMA 100K Championships were held together with the 27th IAU 100 km World Championships on the night of November 21-22, 2014 in the Aspire Zone, Doha, Qatar starting at 6:00 pm and ending at 6:00 am. Several Gulf Coast Country (GCC) athletes also ran in conjunction with the IAU/Masters race. 250 athletes in all ran. 53 were Masters. 40 masters finished in age 35 to 65 age groups. The day before the race there was a technical meeting to explain the course and the rules to the team managers. That night was the opening ceremonies and athlete walk-in plus a pasta dinner in the Aspire Dome which is a multi-sport indoor complex. It contains world class competition and training facilities as well as a school for international athletes. One of the facilities is a fully equipped 200 m track.
The fastest Masters man was Jonas Buud (M40) of Sweden in 6:32:04 and the best woman was Joasia Zakrzewski (W35) of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with a time of 7:42:02 seconds. Her closest rival was her teammate Jo Meek who was one minute behind. The best male open athlete Max King of the USA finished in 06:27:43 which is a North American 100 km record and the best open female was Ellie Greenwood of GBR with a time of 07:30:48. The complete results can be seen by clicking here. All athletes were timed using bib chip technology. No athletes missed a split. The board showed laps to go and time and the results were ready immediately after the race. All Masters athletes had an age group tag on their back making sure all who followed knew their age.
The night weather was a positive factor with a temperature between 17-21 degrees centigrade. There was little wind and low humidity. The lighting all around the course allowed for safe footing. The surface was hard and flat, interlocking stone of different types. Many athletes paid the price by not wearing thick cushioned sole shoes. Three weeks before, the same course hosted the IAU 50 km championships with higher winds and temperatures. The race was broadcast live over the internet and on large screens at the site from several locations on the 5 km loop (20 laps in all). The closing ceremony and banquet was held at the Women’s Institute in Aspire. All athletes were welcome. The IUA, GCC and Masters medals were handed out on stage with entertainment and a wonderful dinner. One open team was disqualified for not wearing official country affiliate tops. IAU individuals and teams get prize money. Our Masters Athletes were very happy with their new medals. It was a great honor to place the medals over the head of each of the top three winning athletes in each age group. I also thank Dirk Strumane, President of the IAU, for allowing us to be part of their race. The race and the coverage from the media was a great opportunity to show masters athletes to the world.
Please look at Photo Gallery on the WMA website for many images of the championship. The 2015 WMA/ IAU 100km World Championships will be in Winschoten, the Netherlands.
Brian Keaveney
WMA Technical Delegate
masters@sympatico.ca
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