Saturday, May 15, 1999 -- Keyser
Tornado Masters Classic 5K
Story and photos by Lisa Selmon

[Coverage/Recap w/Pics] [Pic Set #1] [Pic Set #2]
[Overall Results] [Age Group Results]

A Tornado of Masters takes off.

A beautiful day graced the running crowds on Saturday as WVOutside headed to Keyser, WV to visit the Masters of running at the 4th Annual Tornado Masters Classic 5K. Keyser hosted the 40+ running crowd during this annual event which brought along with it a vast array of awards, tempting refreshments and as usual, a spiffy new T-Shirt for all those who entered.

Registration for this race was up by one-third the number of runners from last year. Does that mean we have more Masters in the field? Or that more people are paying attention to their health and venturing out for a morning jog rather than lounging and reading the paper? We're not sure, but whatever the reason, it made for a great competition.

Fred Poland Sprints to the Finish

The run is basically a very flat out-and-back 5K course that follows the banks of the New Creek. Last year's battle continued between the previous first and second place finishers, as Tom Langan and Dennis Albright battled it out for the 1999 lead position. Albright took first place with an time of 17.59, just 18 seconds over Langan, a reversal of the placements from last year's competition. The race for the female champion was taken by Pat Santoro with a time of 23.29.

But, for this reporter, the true winner of this race was not the early finishers, but instead, the last to cross the finish line. Fred Poland, 87 years young, is truly a master of the sport of running and goes to show that you are only as old you feel or act. He is a regular at the 5K running events in Keyser, and the surrounding area. It was hard to keep from smiling as he came down the road toward the finish-line and brought forth a triumphant sprint. And what did he say upon finishing the run? Proudly showing his gold medal from the Senior Olympics, he stated that he was looking forward to the Independence Day 5K!