Frank Meza 2:53:10 at LA Marathon (70 years old) unofficial time (just finished)

I guess we've established that a marathoner can be very competitive over a 40 year period (Ed Whitlock) and that a marathoner can be much faster at age 70 than 60 (Gene Dykes), but after re-reading your comment, you are probably still unsatisfied that the two can be successfully combined. I certainly agree with you that it's probably tough to improve in an absolute basis late in life after many decades of competitive racing. But, I could hypothesize (you would call it apologize) many reasons that it could happen. Take it easy for a few years and thus get a reset. Be not at your best in your 60's for whatever reason. (I think you have to go back many years in Ed Whitlock's career before you find a time to match his 2:54:48 at age 73.) Get a coach, find more time to train... the list could probably go on and on. I don't mind healthy skepticism, but as for me, I'm really looking forward to having a chance to go head to head with him on a major stage. Time will tell.

He' a well known doctor in Los Angeles. Just google his name. His picture will pop up with an 800 number. Leave a message. I imagine if you leave a voice message and a call back number where you live, he would be thrilled to call you back. You would be the only 2 members of the 70 plus sub 3 club. I think he would be smart enough listening to your message to feel you are not a fake Gene Dykes.

Single age marathon records were maintained by ARRS. The guy who maintained it died last year, and there is doubt that anybody else will ever step forward to take his place. (I offered, but got no response). I couldn't find a list of their requirements, so I don't know whether point-to-point courses were acceptable. I suppose finding a single non-compliant point-to-point course in the list of records would show that they were accepted.

2 living members of the 70 plus sub 3 club. 1 member passed on. (Ed) Call Frank.

Not as good as this guy.

Who was also legally blind

Gene, you ran a 200 mile race, finished 77th after 4 days. Pace almost 30 minutes a mile, but still 200 miles. I imagine nobody flys off the start line.

geezus gene, I almost snorted soda right outta my nose, dammit! That fuggin funny man, thanks for the laugh, nice to finish a thursday on that note. Just for that I'll buy you a beer the next time i see you at a race- which is rare for me nowadays, haha.

JustGene wrote:

P.S., I'll be sure to tell my wife of your suspicions that there might be an impostor in bed with her.

JustGene wrote:

HI there. Yes, as soon as I heard about his Phoenix marathon, I tried to find contact information to gab with him. In particular, I wanted him to get signed up for the Marathon Majors age group championship to be held in London in 2020. But, I was unable to find any way to contact him. Do you know a way I can reach out? P.S., I'll be sure to tell my wife of your suspicions that there might be an impostor in bed with her.

Gene,

Your comments about Meza show you are a class act. I remain skeptical about him.

Please continue posting on Letsrun (regularly and not just when your name shows up in a thread). This site needs your class, perspective and love of running. What are your Spring plans?

Go Phillies!

Lip K.

Until you've run a 200-miler, it's hard to explain how time and distance take on all new meanings. I probably start out doing something like 12-minute miles, which feels like I'm crawling. After a few days, however, I'll find a perfect downhill with just the right grade, and I'll feel like I'm absolutely flying. A look at my watch, however, shows that I'm doing something like 16 minute miles, if I'm lucky. I might be able to do a little better than 4 days, but I'm not trying to kill it out there, and I like to take almost the full time to minimize the sleep deprivation by taking a few naps. I figure I get about five one and a half hour naps, which isn't a whole lot over 5 days and 4 nights. My best estimate is that I average about 30 minutes per mile overall, and about 20 minutes per mile moving time. 200's are wonderful - a totally immersive experience that you can't get in a 100-miler, which is over in a mere 24 hours.

Ok, now with Gene Dykes in the picture (if that is really him....not 100 percent sure....why did he come on board so late ?) we have some new perspective.

1. Dykes asserts that as a 2.54 guy, he cannot run under '19' for 5k. Fair enough...then how do you explain two 5k splits in the marathon for Frank in the 18.30 range, even though downhill ?

By the way, downhills are usually the enemy of senior runners, because they create too much trauma in the quads. After running a 18.30 split and suffering quad. damage (yes it is actually damage) it would be a gradual decline all the way to the finish, but instead F.M. bounced back, like superman, and finished with another 18.30 split in the last 5k. This is simply incredible.

If it really is Gene posting in support of Frank credit to him, and if Frank or circumstances show that Frank really ran those times including splits...then we could hail Frank as a legend on the senior circuit.

Ghost in China

Hi Lip, I suppose I love talking about running almost as much as running (which, unfortunately, doesn't always make me a big hit at cocktail parties). I'll try to check into this site more often. January and February were my ultra months with two 50-milers, a 100-miler, and a 200-miler. Now I'm in my spring marathon season with Boston and Big Sur coming up later this month. Then it's back to ultras for May through July with lots of great races to look forward to: 24 hours on a track at Dawn To Dusk to Dawn, a 117K in the Azores, the Cayuga Trails 50-miler (a real favorite of mine), and the Maah Daah Hey 100 in North Dakota. Then back to marathon season - NYC for sure and probably Toronto. What are you most looking forward to?

Thanks for the tip. I found a couple numbers. I think I only checked social media sites last time.

That's funny. I'm a gigantic tub of lard compared to Ed Whitlock! I think he weighed about 118 for many of his records, and I struggle to get down to 139 from a more comfortable 143. He was 3 inches shorter at 5'7", but still...

Gene, i'll echo Lip, I sure miss the days when Ed W would post around here, plus all the other legends that seem to dissipate quicker than necessary...but such is the cess pool. If you can filter the trollery here and ignore the occasional idiocy, it's actually not a half bad place to lurk, and occasionally post. Thanks for chiming in and hope you stick around. If I make it up to Big Sur I'll buy you that beer for sure.

A couple of 200 milers and you’ll get down to agood racing weight.?

Can you point me to a link of the splits you are talking about? The LA Marathon splits don't have anything like that.

As for coming on late - just oblivious, I guess. I was totally unaware of these forums. Recently, at least. I had a login registered, but I can't remember why I might have posted before.

Downhills are my friend! I really get moving on downhill stretches, which I credit to the large number of trail races that I do. Real quad strengtheners.

About Long Beach. It might be sanctioned and certified, but for some reason it doesn't show up on the list of IAAF approved marathons. I would be leery of attempting a world record there. (I should have consulted this web site before attempting the record at Jacksonville)

https://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitioninfo/01664bab-af0a-44d6-a014-cd603492f592.pdf

I sincerely hope you enjoyed your flight from China Mr Powell?

.

Gene, I started this thread because I have followed Frank for years. He is my inspiration that I can continue to get faster between 59 and 70 forward. I noticed his times once, and then noticed the steady improvement. I saw Frank beat the record in Phoenix and did a thread. Then another just after the finish of the LA Marathon. It reopened a long time anger at a presumed cheating incident, because Frank was DQ'd from CIM in 2014, the year he got a high rating from RW. You got honorable mention that year. The splits in question are from the 2018 LA Marathon. They are obviously not likely, at best. People found it odd that Frank always starts so far back, considering where he will finish. So there is a debate. That is the mood of this thread, not what my intention was. Even my suspicions were aroused. I read an interview of yours, and have seen your results on Athlinks. You are something else. From short distance to ultras. Wow!! Even still, there is a slight doubt that you are you. Just very slight. Because I want this to be you so much. You are a hero to many. Thanks..