Masters Athletics

Most people join Master Athletics to keep fit and challenge themselves in running, jumping and throwing activities (perhaps for the first time in their lives!), but they stay for the lifelong friendships and camaraderie they feel from belonging to this inclusive tribe. Connecting with like-minded/health-conscious people, challenging yourself physically, remaining young at heart, and improving mental wellbeing is what Masters Athletics is all about. We provide the support and accountability; you bring the FUN!

You can’t be too old, only too young to be a Masters Athlete!

This can be as easy as training to run in a local Road race, to training with an Athletics club with the goal of competing at a World Masters Championship, and everything in between!

For road races in Manitoba, visit the Manitoba Runners’ Association website to see their calendar of events. Home – Manitoba Runners’ Association (mraweb.ca) You do not need to be a member of the MRA to participate in road races, but there are some benefits to joining, such as discounts for Sanctioned events and group training opportunities. The cost to enter a road race is set by the Race Director.

Athletics Manitoba sanctions a variety of track and field and cross country competitions throughout the year, split between indoor and outdoor seasons.  Being a member of Athletics Manitoba is encouraged, but day of event memberships are available at some meets.  Events cover a range of disciplines including sprints, hurdles, distance, throws, and jumps and are open to all calibers of athletes. Remember as a Masters athlete, you don’t need to be fast or strong, just old (relatively)! Cost to enter a track and field competition is set by the host club and is often approximately $10 per event for members.  High profile and championship events are typically more expensive. Most meets will accept entries for Masters athletes.

Check out the Events Calendar for upcoming Track & Field events

You can join Athletics Manitoba as either an unattached athlete or through one of the affiliated clubs.

If you are not interested in competing, there are other categories of membership including Coaches, Officials, and Volunteers (Associate members).

If you want to participate in Track and Field, Cross Country and Road Race events, join Athletics Manitoba either individually or through an affiliated club. Athletics Manitoba is the provincial sport governing body for track and field, cross country and road running in Manitoba.  Joining Athletics Manitoba automatically provides you with membership to Athletics Canada, the CMA and the MRA.  Note, if you set a Record in a sanctioned event, you must be an Athletics Manitoba member for the record to be recognized.  This applies to Provincial, National and World records. Visit Membership – Athletics Manitoba for more details.

If you only want to run Road Races, and plan on running numerous Road races throughout the year, join the MRA. The mission of the MRA is to “promote and support the sport of running for health, fun and fitness for life to runners of all ages and abilities”. The aim of the MRA is to encourage mass participation in road running as well as the individual pursuit of excellence through our schedule of fun runs and road races. Visit MRA Membership – Manitoba Runners’ Association (mraweb.ca) for more details.

Joining through one of the Affiliated Clubs gets you access to coaching and training partners as well as Exclusive Use time at the University of Manitoba’s James Daly Fieldhouse in the Max Bell Centre.

Membership fees are due annually.

Clubs set their own annual membership fees.

Athletes of all ages and abilities can benefit from coming together to train, share knowledge, and (if they choose) participate in events. What most of our members treasure the most is not necessarily the fun competitions but the lifelong friendships they make along the way.

Participating in track and field, cross country and road racing is a lot of fun. People of all abilities are welcomed with open arms, and there is always a lot of camaraderie and support amongst everyone involved at these events. By joining Athletics Manitoba, you pay one fee for the year, and receive membership in Athletics Canada, Canadian Masters Athletics, and the MRA. Then you never have to worry about “day of” fees for track and field or cross-country events and receive discounts on fees for many road races.

As a side point, Athletics Manitoba programs are conducted in all regions of Manitoba and our programs represent the full range of skill development from entry level through developmental and high performance for athletes, coaches, and officials. Competitors of all ages and abilities, representing the wide range of disciplines of the sport, have opportunity to regularly train, develop and compete together.  Becoming a member provides financial support to help develop programs and support structures for all athletes, coaches, and officials.

There is a lot of behind-the-scenes costs associated with hosting any event, including Road Races.  These costs are typically borne by members, but also recouped as part of the event costs charged by Meet and Race directors for the event.  Membership fees play an integral part of offsetting these costs.

There are benefits to working with a coach either individually or as part of a group.  If you are new to the sport, a knowledgeable coach will be key to your long-term success and enjoyment of the sport.

But there are many athletes who train on their own, and you are not required to join a club.*

*Note: Exclusive Use training time at the James Daly fieldhouse is reserved for club members

• Does your club have a coach for my discipline?
• Does your club have a coach or group geared specifically towards the masters athlete? I have (fill in the blank) injury. How do I find a coach/club who can help me safely work around this injury?
• How many days a week would the group train? Where/when does the training occur?
• Does the coach or club teach the basics (proper warmups, training routines, using blocks, strength/conditioning exercises).
• How much does it cost to join your club?
• Are there volunteer time commitments for a Masters athlete who joins a club?
• Does your club have a “recruitment” event (or just an open practice session) that could provide some basic information about Athletics?

There are various Masters Rankings available as well as Masters Records that can be used as comparison.  The USTAF has All American Standards at the Gold, Silver and Bronze levels that are an excellent resource for comparing other athletes in your age category. You can also check out Provincial and National Masters age group records. Visit our Masters Resource page for links.

There is also a wonderful concept called age grading that compares your results at your current age against other athletes in their prime.  This is a great way to show how your current performances stack up against your younger self.

World Masters Rankings

USATF Masters – Age Grading

As we like to say, you do not need to be fast, strong or competitive to participate in Masters Athletics, you just need to be old (relatively!) and able to participate.  While there are some Masters athletes who train to compete, most Masters participate for the camaraderie …even those who go to World Championships speak about the people they have met and the fun they have had competing with like minded individuals.  Some use Championships as an excuse to travel.

Most meets, will try to have athletes compete against athletes of similar capability based on expected finish time or distance in order to streamline the schedule and to provide meaningful competition opportunities for all athletes.  In some cases, you may be competing with people of different ages or athletic abilities, but it’s helpful to remember that while you are competing with them, you aren’t really competing against them. Results are sorted after the event and divided into the appropriate age categories.

Some other helpful notes/reminders,

Arrival: Arrive at the venue at least 1 hour before the scheduled start and be sure to check the FINAL schedule for any updates or changes that were made after the entry deadline.

Warm-up: Take time to go through your normal warm-up routine

Marshalling: All athletes need to check in with the Officials prior to the start of your event. For track events – you should be prepared to check in approximately 10-15 minutes before your race to confirm your heat and lane assignments. For field events – you should be prepared to check in approximately 20-30 minutes before the start of your event to make sure you have time to complete any warm up jumps or throws.

• Start line: Officials will direct you accordingly
  • Sprint events (400M and lower): the commands are: On your Mark; Set; The Gun
  • Distance events (800M+): the commands are: On your Mark; The Gun
  • If you are not used to it, the starting gun can be intimidating, however once the gun goes off, it is just you trying to get to the finish line as fast as your ability allows. Remember – If there is a problem, the gun will be fired a second time. All athletes will stop and return to the start
• Race: Depending on the distance, you may have to stay in your lane the entire way.  Typically for multi-lap races after the start, you run in lane 1. Impeding other athletes may result in disqualification.Finish: The race is over once you cross this finish line. Make your way off the track when safe to do so.

Throwers

• Competitors will get time before the start of the competition for warm up and practice throws.
  • Each competitor gets three attempts, with the top 8 competitors getting three more.
  • If there are less than 8 competitors in an age category – everyone will get all 6 attempts
  • You are not obliged to take all 6 attempts if you don’t want!

Jumpers

• Competitors will get time before the start of the competition for warm up and practice jumps.
  • In the horizontal jumps, each competitor gets three attempts, with the top 8 competitors getting three more.
  • If there are less than 8 competitors in an age category – everyone will get all 6 attempts
  • You are not obliged to take all 6 attempts if you don’t want!
  • In the vertical jumps, each competitor gets three attempts to clear each height.

Whatever event you compete in, always be aware of your surroundings! The facility can be a busy place.

Don’t hesitate to ask someone a question! Our coaches, officials, volunteers and other athletes are always happy to help.

There are a variety of competition types available to our members throughout the year. If you aren’t sure where to start, or what competitions to attend please take some time to review the information provided HERE!

For Athletics Manitoba, contact Michael Kananoja at Programs@athleticsmanitoba.com or visit the Clubs page to contact a club directly.

For the Manitoba Runners’ Association, please use the web contact form Contact Us – Manitoba Runners’ Association (mraweb.ca)