Last weekend, the Toronto Track & Field Centre played host to the Winter Mini Meet 1, where a remarkable achievement occurred. Mike Morris, an 86-year-old athlete from Ontario, sprinted to glory in the 50m final, finishing with an astonishing time of 9.34 seconds. This remarkable performance not only secured him first place but also broke the previous Canadian record for his age group by nearly two-tenths of a second. The former national M85 record was held by Ontario’s Bill Thompson, who set the benchmark at 9.53 seconds in 2015.
Morris’s performance was nothing short of extraordinary. He won his heat with a time of 9.34 seconds, edging out Ontario’s Steve Baldamus (66 years old) who finished second at 9.43 seconds, while Ben Kong (50) placed third with a time of 9.55 seconds. Earlier that day, during the preliminaries, Morris clocked an impressive 9.58 seconds, just missing the record by a mere 0.05 seconds. In a candid moment post-race, Morris confided to his daughter, Jennifer, that he could have achieved an even faster time were it not for some knee discomfort.
Although the 50m event is not an officially recognized distance by World Masters Athletics, Morris’s age-graded performance is astonishingly equivalent to a 20 to 30-year-old completing the same distance in just 6.78 seconds. This statistic emphasizes the remarkable nature of his achievement; he is truly a testament to the enduring spirit of athletes in their golden years.
Morris’s recent victory marks him as only the second Canadian masters athlete to establish a national record under the new Athletics Canada regulations. In a related feat, just a day prior to Morris’s success, Lynne Wawryk-Epp, a 70-year-old from Saskatchewan, recorded a time of 7:12.28 in the mile, effectively shattering the Canadian W70 age-group record.
Inspiring Generations
Participating alongside Morris at the Winter Mini Meet was another renowned figure in Canadian athletics, Karla Del Grande. At 73 years old and representing the Masters of Speed Athletics club, Del Grande holds the world records for the W70 age group in both the 60m (9.17 seconds) and the 400m (1:11.34).
Del Grande participated in three races within a single day, including the 50m preliminaries, 50m final, and the 150m final. She recorded a stunning time of 7.96 seconds in the 50m final, narrowly missing her own W70 Canadian record of 7.87 seconds set just last January. Not stopping there, Del Grande later achieved a time of 23.37 seconds in the 150m event. Her remarkable performance serves as an inspiration to the younger generation of athletes, motivating them to push boundaries and redefine age-related limits in sports.
Following the events, Del Grande took to social media to congratulate Morris on his record-breaking achievement. “Congratulations to Mike Morris, who had targeted this record and knew he could get it done. He’s fun to race with!” she tweeted, showcasing the camaraderie and mutual respect within the masters athletics community.
As the winds of competition and determination blow through the Toronto Track & Field Centre, the Winter Mini Meet 1 not only highlighted extraordinary individual achievements but also emphasized the supportive and encouraging environment of masters athletics. Both Mike Morris and Karla Del Grande serve as shining beacons of inspiration for athletes of all ages to continue pursuing their passions and striving for excellence.
For a deeper insight into the full results of the Winter Mini Meet, please visit here.
