Posted January 24, 2003

Sal Allah capitalized on Tony Young's tactical error to win the M40 800 at the Orono masters nationals. But Tony still won a hug from his friend.

The 1500, contested in 100-degree heat, was a different story, however, with Young setting a  sizzling pace and never looking back. He won in 3:59.34 with runner-up Randy Ward 12 seconds back.

Now it's Tony's turn to hand out congratulations.

Photos by Ken Stone

A mile-mannered star emerges:
An interview with Tony Young

Tony Young refuses to grow old. Last season he made a sensational debut in M40 with a 4:09.61 mile at the Seattle International. Last weekend he chopped off another second -- clocking 4:08.60 at a University of Washington indoor meet. Young, who reached masters age on April 12, 2002, won’t get credit for an American masters record, though. It came on an “illegal” oversized track – 307 meters to the lap. Whatever. He’s still the best today. 

Born in Chicago, Tony grew up in western Kentucky and graduated in 1980 from Union County High School in Morganfield, Kentucky, where his mile best was 4:19 – and he won the 1979 state title. After five years in the Navy, he went west and ran track for Cal State Los Angeles.  There he clocked a 4:00.8 split during a distance medley relay and ran a 3:43 1500 (equivalent to a sub-4 mile). 

After college, he ran a 3:42.8 1500 and a 4:02 mile. His all-time bests also include 49.2 for 400, 1:48.79 for 800, 13:50 for 5000 and 30:42 for 10,000. Now living in Redmond, Washington, he’s a bank manager for First Mutual Bank. His wife since 1989 is Heather, is a former All-American at Cal State Northridge. They have a 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter, and two cats – Pearl and Zoe. 

Tony says he’s always run since college – five or six days a week – but raced on roads only four or five times a year.  “No real serious training, just a lot of 45-60 minute runs.” He didn’t compete in the Olympic Trials, but was a six-time Div. II All-American who raced Kenyans and Rod DeHaven often. He now competes for Club Northwest in the Seattle area.  “They have not only a great young group of Open runners to train with, but also the top masters runners (men and women) in the state,” he says.  “I also belong to the Eastside Runners, a more social group on the Eastside of Lake Washington that provides weekly workouts for their members as well.  My long-run group!”

By Ken Stone 

Masterstrack.com: Your 4:08.6 indoor mile over the weekend shattered the American record of 4:11 -- but still put you 10 seconds away from the incredible all-time masters best of 3:58.15 by Ireland's Eamonn Coghlan. Outdoors, what are your chances of being the first to run sub-4 post-40? Is David Moorcroft's outdoor masters record of 4:02.53 a reasonable goal?  

Tony Young: Coghlan’s time is crazy!  It has to be one of the hardest marks in all of track and field.  I really don’t think of it (too much!).  My 4:09 last year came on only one good attempt with the faster young bucks, so if I can get 4-6 real fast attempts, then who knows?  If I feel confident in my training and have a couple of good workouts in race pace, then I enjoy running with the faster guys and just competing.  The quicker times will just happen!  Sub-4:05 would be a nice next effort.

At the USATF open indoor nationals, you’re expected to run a masters exhibition 3,000. The listed American masters record is 8:32.52 by Craig Fram. Are you in shape to challenge that? 

This race is becoming loaded fast.  Top guys on the East Coast (Thomas Dalton, Mike Egle, John Hinton, Mike Platt, Fram, Winn) and some West Coast studs (David Olds, Pete Magill).  And who knows who else is ready to run at 40? As far as the 8:32 mark, a good mark, but probably something in the low 8:20s will have to be run to win.  I hope to contend.

Training for middle distances is a particular challenge, since you can’t do merely sprint work or only long-distance running. And unlike our open days, when a coach would post workouts, masters are generally on their own. Do you have a coach? If yes, who? If not, how do you design your own workouts?  

Tom Cotner (Club Northwest) started giving me workouts last March and has really been a catalyst in bringing me along consistently the past year.  He has slowed down my long run to a comfortable 6:30-7:00 pace and extended that from 70-80 minutes to 2 hours once a week.  This and staying with longer sessions on the track (2 x 2 mile, 5 x 1000, etc,) has allowed me to stay strong all year long.  

Give an example of a recent hard workout --- with reps, rests and times.

Most of my workouts have been 65-second quarter stuff, but just before last week’s mile I did  400 (65), 400(61), 2:03 (800), 60 (400), 43 (300), 27 (200), with about 3 minutes rest between.

Also unlike our open days, when teams paid our way to meets, masters have to foot their own bills. Do you have anyone helping underwrite your track travels? Did anyone help pay for your Maine trip last summer? 

Club Northwest has been great in picking up my Maine trip to nationals.  But costs do come into play with my racing selection.  Thankfully, there are a lot of great local competitions in the Seattle area.  It would be nice to have it like it was in college, but this doesn’t seem to be the case for masters athletes in the U.S. Also, Mizuno has been supplying my shoes the past few months

Many elite middle-distance runners, such as Johnny Gray, have talked about mowing down records as masters but never seem to arrive. What motivates you to stay at a high fitness level -- without Olympic and pro inducements? 

I do make a note to know what I have to do to be the best in any one distance (U.S. or World).  A great motivation last year was being ranked in the top 7 in the world in the 800, 1500, mile, 3000 and 5000.  Dave Clingan did a great job updating that weekly. 

As an inducement for ex-elites and a reward for top marks, should USATF Masters offer financial support to its champions?

Now there is a concept!  Anything to help with air fare or lodging would be nice.

USATF offers a series of masters road races with cash prizes. What needs to be done to get prize money for masters track?  

Ran in the Jamba Juice-sponsored “Run With the Champions Mile” in San Francisco last September, with  $1500 for first, $750, $500, $250.  That was pretty motivating!  Look for outside corporate sponsorship.  Road races that finish on the track and then have some featured track races, not a whole meet.

A 4:08 mile is 62 seconds per quarter-mile -- an all-out sprint for many masters. You ran 1:55 for the 800 last year. What do you think you could run in the 100, 200 and 400? Would you consider trying these events this year? 

No comment on the 100!  200, probably around 24.  400, maybe 51 or better?  I was going to do a 400 last year, but decided to do an 800 instead.

Besides Johnny Gray, such former mile stars as Steve Scott, Tom Byers and Jim Spivey have attempted comebacks as masters. Few got near sub-4:10. How did you accomplish this when Olympians and American record holders couldn’t? 

I am more consistent in my year-round training approach than I have ever been.  My coach in college told me that I would never run as fast for him as I possibly could, but that I would have to keep at it to reach my potential.  He knew that I could always race at a higher level than that at which  I trained at, so we never really pushed it too often.  I did the 12 x 400s in 60 and the 3 x 800s in sub-2:00, but not too often.

What would it take to get Olympians now in their 40s to take masters track seriously? 

I think that a lot of them have trained so hard throughout their life that the idea of putting it out there again (pain and time spent) is just not that big of a priority.  Someone like me, having never made it (except Div. II Nationals) has something that is “unanswered” yet in my system.  Why not push it a little now (with all of this experience) and see what can be accomplished?

Masters mile records are in some dispute. Some people credit you with the American all-time masters mile record, while others cite a 4:06.7 mile by Larry Almberg (at age 43!), a fellow Washington state athlete. What do you consider the best American masters mile? 

What is it about the Northwest and master milers?!  I never met Larry, but from what I have heard, he was just awesome.  He even was strong enough to win XC nationals too!  I always thought Steve Scott would get the U.S. mark well under 4:00, but he had some health issues, I believe.  Both of those guys are really people that I truly admire.  I even raced (yeah, right) Steve in the ‘80s and did some rabbiting for him and others back then.  Larry’s 4:06 (mile) and Steve’s 3:47 (1500) are the marks that I have to shoot for.  They are not out there by themselves without a reason. 

What kinds of reactions are you getting to your recent mile achievements? Hearing from any long-lost rivals? 

About 15 e-mails from friends (competitors) when I came back to work.  Everyone really roots for everyone else.  Since turning 40, I have found that the camaraderie at this level is phenomenal.  Everyone is exchanging workout ideas, wanting each other to succeed.  I really enjoy that.    

What’s your take on the overall declining fortunes of American miling? Except for Alan Webb and David Krummenacker, U.S. milers aren’t given much of a chance on the world stage. How can this be changed? 

This is a loaded question.  It requires a long-term approach to training. . . .  If a kid is showing talent at an early age, what is best for him/her to build upon each year? Over-racing will shorten one’s career/desire quickly.  At the start of each year, make a one-on-one plan on where one hopes to be and what it will take to get there.  Webb will be fun to watch in a year or two. Krummenacker is fun to watch now!  His confidence from last year will make him even more dominating this year.  Very tough runner.

Sal Allah tends to stay with the 400 and 800. Who else among the masters ranks give you the most competition?

Sal ran so smart last year at nationals, I think that I panicked a little.  I figured there was no way to outkick a 49-second quarter-miler, so I tried to run him into the ground from the start.  He just got a free ride.  I am going to have to have more confidence in my turnover this year.  With that said, what a nice guy he is. 

John Hinton (from North Carolina) is someone to watch out for too!  I do not know about his shorter or longer speed, but he is just a few seconds off me in the mile.  I have only raced him once, but it was in September and neither one of us was that sharp. David Olds, Danny Martinez , Danny Gonzalez , Scannel, Fram, Platt, Freddie Klevan and now Dennis Simonaitis are the ones to watch in the longer stuff.  Eddy Hellebuyck would be one that would do some damage on the track too!

Where will you compete this season? Are you pointing to peak for Puerto Rico’s world masters meet?

I want to mix it up again this year.  Run indoor track 800-3000, outdoor track 800-5000, Road race some 5/10Ks, and finish the year with some mud and some good cross country running.  Puerto Rico would be nice, (but) no $$$ to spend, so (I’ll stay) mostly local.  Point toward the 3000 in Boston March 2,  maybe run Carlsbad 5K road race in April, back on the track for some fast 1500/miles in May/June.  Masters nationals in Eugene in August is definitely something that I will be running.  What a terrific atmosphere that is!

Some masters -- like Almberg at age 43 and Coghlan at age 41 -- find it possible to improve their times well after turning 40. Do you see yourself getting faster perhaps at 41 and 42? 

I will be 41 in April.  I hope to run somewhere around 4:05 this year, so yes, I have to improve to do that.  The trick is to continue to build up without taking a step backwards with an injury.  A half in 1:52 range would be nice too!

Thousands of masters run road races. What would it take to lure them on to the track for the same 5K or 10K distance they run on asphalt and concrete? 

I think that $$$ have to be a big part of the picture, and why not really?  Highlighting a masters event or two in every big meet would be great (also)!

Have you ever met Eamonn Coghlan?  

No, I have never met Eamonn (Chairman of the Boards) Coghlan.  But I have been a huge fan of his forever.  I have been on the track with Ray Flynn, Joaquim Cruz, Steve Scott, Marcus O’Sullivan, Peter Elliot, Peter Rono, Doug Padilla and others.  All were great competitors.  It was an honor to be beat by them all! Coghlan was someone who even dominated the greats. I would like to know what workouts he was doing about a month before his 3:58!

How long do you see yourself running masters track? 

Why stop?  I may not be at the highest level for too long, but instead of beating 20- and 30-year-olds now, I’ll just adjust and aim to beat the young masters as they become 40 and I am a senior citizen.