News

After each calendar year, different organizations honor track and field or road running athletes with various awards. One of these, sponsored by the USATF, is the Phidippides Award that is earned for long distance running. Alan Poisner won this award for 2013 even though he did his racing by racewalking rather than running. He also won this award in 2010, 2011 and 2012. All of these races were open to runners without racewalking divisions but miles are miles regardless of the locomotive style. Some runners in the area probably earned this award as well.

Another award that is promoted by the National Masters News is the All-American Award that is open to all masters' competitors. In order to earn this designation, athletes must perform in a road race, a track meet (track or field) or a racewalk and achieve a result that is 80% or better on the age-graded tables that are shown in their publication. The criteria for race walking can be found online at http://www.nationalmastersnews.com/aa_rw_m.htm and an online calculator for runners and racewalkers is found at: http://www.eracewalk.com/CalcAgeg.htm

For 2013, Alan won this designation for races at three different distances and this was published in the January 2014 issue of National Masters News: Track & Field: 1500m Race Walk-9:19.59 ; 5000m Race Walk-34:02.78 ;10000m Race Walk 1:09:38.50. Alan has won All-American status many times in recent years and this should become easier after October when he reaches a new age division (80-84).

Another award for 2013 was earned in a new series of races sponsored by the Ujena Racing club. They have been conducting races across the U.S. in their Double Road Race format, which is a 10K event followed a short time later (30-60 min) by a 5K race.. After many races in 2013 they ranked the winners based on age-grading and finishing times and gave prizes to the top finishers. Alan raced in Overland Park on June 30 and took first place in his age division while being the only racewalker. At the end of the year, he received this message: 'Congratulations! You have been awarded the 2013 Ujena Fit Club Elite Racing Top 100 medal.

Ujena Fit Club members posted thousands of races they ran in 2013. 100 points were given to each race completed, 20 points for each mile raced and performance points if you placed in the top 500 of age-graded performances. You placed in the top 100. That was not easy but you did it! https://www.doubleroadrace.com/o.php?pg=FitElite.html

Racewalking in the Olympics is truly an endurance sport (currently 20K for men and women and 50K for men), Competition for Masters is frequently 10K or less. Alan has shown his endurance by continuing his 28-year journey of racewalking. Pictures of the awards can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/racewalker/