Striders in Action
Alan Olsen
Alan’s World
Alan has been sharing some personal reflections with us, and we’d like to share them with you…
San Diego Senior Games
Striders Ed Rose and Keith Wetterer put on an impressive show at the Senior Games on September 14th, competing in a combined 13 events. Here are their results:
Ed Rose (76)
50m – 8.25 – (#13 on the 2025 MastersRankings.com US list; #14 on the world list [75-79])
100m – 15.64 – (#16 US)
200m – 33.24 – (would have been #10 US had he not run slightly faster in April)
400m – 1:19.13 (#9 US)
Long Jump – 3.66 – (not quite as far as his #5 US from July.)
Triple Jump – 7.14 – (#12 US)
Ed Rose’s Medals
Keith Wetterer (83)
3000m – 16:18.44 – (#1 US; #12 World [80-84])
1500m – 7:48.48 – (#8 US)
800m – 4:14.09 – (#13 US)
400m – 1:51.08 – (not quite as fast as his #20 US in February)
200m – 53.33 – (#39 US)
100m – 23.74 – (#58 US)
50m – 12.44 – #42 US)
Big Congratulations to both!
Andy & Mark
Elsewhere – Andy’s Blog Returns in 2026! (we hope…) As you may know, Andy has spent most of 2025 working to overcome his kidney issues. He sent us good news recenty:
I began easy training in June, then intense training in July and August. I now have approval from my doctors to compete again. Since the track season is over, I will start running 5K for long-term conditioning. By 2026 I hope to be competing as a fit 89 year old!
Great to have you back, Andy!
Lastly, more impressive running from Mark Gookin (66); in his words:
I won the Pacific Masters 800m in Sac with a 2:38 time but strained a hammy a week or so later which kept me out of the US championships in Huntsville. Totally health now and running strong I’ve placed in the top 5 overall in several regional 5k-5mi events over the last couple of months but haven’t put together a great time (been training through these events).
I’m shooting for two races this Saturday! A local 5k in Idlewild Park which should be a fairly fast course and trying to hit a good time on that one. Later that same day there is a 5 mi late afternoon trail race in Auburn and just gonna throw whatever I’ve got left into that one.
Other planned events for me:
5k Cross country championships, Golden Gate Park, 11/1
8k Cross country championships, Portland, 12/7
Mark’s 2 races in one day happened yesterday (09/27), so we will post an update when we learn his results. Also coming soon: Dirt Dogs 2025.
USATF San Diego Imperial Open/Master’s Track and Field Championships 2025
We recently heard from Ed Rose, who competed at the USATF San Diego Imperial Open/Master’s Track and Field Championships at Cuyamaca College (07/13/2025). He had this to say:
… ran on Sunday and did pretty well. Four gold medals, small turnout. Did have a good 400, 1:20.52, 3rd in US and 25th in world, long jump 3.76M, 3rd in US 18th in world, 100 16.42 and 200 34.06 less than expected, paid the price for running 400. No action shots, but here is a picture with my medals.
Ed Rose
(We found plenty of action shots from the meet; check them out.)
STRIDERS AT THE RACES
Keller, Texas saw a Strider on the podium, as Robert Fanjas was the fastest 60+ runner at the WW Military Miles 5K on June 1st – clocking a fine time of 21:11.
Elsewhere, Keith Wetterer has been busy as usual, and filled us in with the following:
I have run two races recently. On May 4, I did the Spring Sprint Duathlon (1 mi. Run, 10 mi. Bike and 5K run. Time: 1:26:40. I won the 80+ age group by default. On May 18 I did the Coronado Bridge Run (4 Mi.) in 38:59 placing first of 11 in the 80+ age group. This Sunday, June 22 I will do the San Diego International Duathlon (1 Mi. Run, 20K bike and 5.6K run. Late July is the Solana Beach Duathlon. I have not yet seen the Dirt Dog sked, but I should be able to do one or more of those. I also plan on the MIssion Bay Duathlon in October and the SD Senior Games Track Meet in September. Good luck to all the Striders this summer. Keith
Following up on his note, we learned that he won the 80+ division at the SDI Duathlon in 1:46:15. Congratulations, Keith!
Finally, we’ve collected the results of Mark Gookin’s efforts over the last 3 months:
4/19 – Bartley Bunny 5K Run, Reno, NV: 1st (65-9), 7th overall; 22:55.67.
4/27 – Lace Up For Learning 5K, Folsom, CA: 2nd overall; 20:33.
5/17 – Polio Purple Pinkie 5K Trail Race, Reno, NV: 1st (60-9), 7th overall; 22:24.
6/07 – Pacific Master’s T&F Championships, Cordova, CA: 800m – 1st (65-9); 2:38.74.
6/15 – Cool Moon 5K Trail Race, Cool, CA: 1st (60-9), 3rd overall; 27:08.
6/22 – Burton Creek 6K Trail Run, Tahoe City, CA: 1st (65-9), 4th overall; 29:45.
Well done! Mark is planning on running at the USATF Master’s Outdoor T&F Championships later in July, so we’ll try to get his report posted when we can. Good Luck!
Robert Fanjas @ Military Miles
Mark @ The Pacific Master’s w/Brent Cushenberry (1st (65-9), 2000m Steeplechase)
Mark @ The Lace Up For Learning Race (w/ Beau)
STRIDER UPDATES
We’d like to give a long overdue shout-out to several Striders:
At the Kook Run 5K on February 8th, Steve Robinson (69) returned to racing with a fine 21:09 in winning the 65-69 division. Also at the Kook, Peter Stern (80) followed up his team championship run at the XC Club Nationals in December with a good 36:34 run.
Mark Gookin (65) was busy in March, winning the 60-9 age group at the Mission Hills 5k (21:15) on 3/22, and then the following weekend running the 800m (2:44.79) and the 1500m (5:27.44) at the Arnie Robinson Invitational at Mesa College.
Lastly, Ed Rose (76) competed at the Summer Nights Track Meet #5 at San Diego High (4/13), running the 100m in 16.03, and the 200m in 33.19 – a time which puts him at #1 in the US for 2025 (see mastersrankings.com).
Congrats to all!
Ed Rose Runs the 200m @ the 2025 Summer Nights #5 Meet
Summer Nights #3 Track Meet
Patrick Henry HS 02/08/25
Keith Wetterer (83) and Andy Anderson (88) competed at SN #3 last month, with Keith running both the 400m (1:43.06) and 1600m (8:31.61). Way to go, Keith!
The following is Andy’s report:
Keith Wetterer and I were at the Patrick Henry H.S. Meet on Saturday 2/8/25. Keith ran several races well, while I ran a poor 800. My hamstring flared up last week while training for the 400, so I scratched the 400 and struggled through a slow 800. But something really good became obvious when talking with Keith.
Keith told me about an incident at a previous meet. If I remember some of the details incorrectly, I apologize. Keith said that he was lined up in the traditional waterfall and a little girl was right beside him. He was concerned that he did not want to bump the girl in the crowded start.
But when the gun went, the little girl shot out like a rocket. As he watched her from further and further behind, she never seemed to slow down. He was so impressed that he talked to her father/coach (?) afterwards and discovered that she is the national champion in her age group and had just broken the national record in a recent meet. Wow!
I had a similar experience 3 weeks ago at the University City High School Meet on 1/18/25.
We were lined up in a waterfall start for the 600 and a small boy was right next to me. He told me that he was 11. I almost told him that I would drop behind him so as to give him a clear path to start. I’m glad that I did not make such an embarrassing statement because when the gun went off he bolted forward and in 10 meters he was already 5 meters ahead of me! And he never slowed down.
He came in second with a time of 1:24.57; my time was double his in: 2:46.43 (a PR for me). High school runners were first and third.
I ran Cub Scout/Boy Scout and summer camp races when I was little during the late 1940s. I always won, but the idea of running against high school athletes was inconceivable.
What I think is really really good is that youngsters are not just allowed to enter track meets, but are encouraged to! Youngsters (and oldsters like me) are always cheered by the crowd as we run the final straightaway.
At the Patrick Henry Meet, there were three 400 meter groups: men, women, and “12 and under”. And the 12 and under needed two heats! Future Olympians are being trained right now. Three cheers for the various meet directors who encourage kids to compete!!!
Andy’s Blog???
We’ve been enjoying Andy’s race reports all along, so we recently decided that we’d like to formalize his musings as a blog. Andy agreed to the idea – – – and then we received the following (02/24/25):
Guys,
You guys recently suggested that I turn my track race musings into a blog. I quickly agreed. However, this might be my only “blog” contribution. I have just returned from 5 days in the hospital following a sudden totally unexpected kidney shut-down. Fortunately I responded very quickly to therapy and am now home. It was determined that I have kidney stones. I return to the hospital in 6 weeks to have those removed.
In short, my competitive days may now be over. It was really great interacting with you all. Hopefully, I will be back, but it is uncertain when or even if that will happen. Interacting with the San Diego Striders has been wonderful!!!
Farewell!
Andy
We all are wishing for Andy’s complete recovery, and will post updates as we get them.
Summer Nights #2 Track Meet
University City HS 01/18/25
Andy Anderson’s Report
My time in the 600 was 2:46.43, a PR by nearly 6 seconds. My previous best was 2:52.16 on December 7, 2024, at the San Diego State University track meet.
I am now 88 years old and was the only Senior (and, I think, there were no Masters level runner) in the Men’s 600, but there were certainly a lot of 10–12-year-olds! One 11-year-old was second with a time of 1:24.57! A 12-year-old was fourth with a time of 1:27.28.
Not surprisingly, when I got onto the final straight away, everybody else had already finished! People politely applauded the old man as he ran the final 100 meters.
Now I will see if my 600 PR will translate into a 400 PR.
– Andy
Andy Anderson
Resolution Run Half Marathon 1/11/25
Aleksandra Avakova
Congratulations to Aleksandra Avakova for her performance at the Resoluton Run (Fiesta Island/Mission Bay Park). Her time of 1:40:36 was good for 5th female overall and 1st in her age group (40-49). Sorry about the late post, Aleks!