Age is just a number, especially when it came to this year’s 2018 USATF Masters Indoor Championships where four world records were set by athletes who were 100 years and older. That is nearly half of the records for the event where the combined total was eight.
GOALS. 💯 and 102 years old and not slowing down.
📷: Orville Rogers and Julia Hawkins at USATF Masters Indoor Championships, credit USATF pic.twitter.com/dLv8XZtWFn
— USATF (@usatf) March 17, 2018
Taking the championship by storm was Baton Rouge, Lousiana’s Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins. She is known for bluntly saying “I missed my nap for this” at the 2017 USA Track & Field masters outdoor championships where she ran 40.12 for the 100 meters. This year making her debut at the indoor championship, Hawkins set a world record at 2.77m/9-1.25 for the 60-meter dash in the women’s 100-plus age competition.
Way to go, Julia! Watch 102-year-old Julia "Hurricane" Hawkins set a new 🌎record in the women's 100+ 60m in 24.79 🔥🔥🔥! #USATFmasterstrack pic.twitter.com/WbPG0VW25O
— USATF (@usatf) March 17, 2018
Next, we have Orville Rogers from Dallas, Texas who went on to complete the 60 meters with a time of 19.13. However, the first place went to Edward Cox from Binghampton, New York who finished first to take home the M90 national title in 11.73.
🚨🚨 World Record Alert! 🚨 🚨
100-year-old Orville Rogers (lane 2) set a new age group record in the men's 60m in 19.13 at USATF Masters Indoor Championships! #USATFmasterstrack pic.twitter.com/A3QuZz1iPZ
— USATF (@usatf) March 17, 2018
Rogers continued to push his limits in the 1500 meters and again set a world record in the M100 age group, completing it in 20:00.91. Rogers is a World War II bomber pilot and a former airline pilot who took up running when he came across Dr Kenneth Cooper’s book on “Aerobics“. He also overcame a stroke in 20111 which had left his left hand, foot and hip paralyzed.
