QUEBEC CITY MARATHONS

This year's version of the first events of the Marathon Skating International MSI Point Series will be held December 1 to 2 at the Gaétan-Boucher Olympic Oval in Ste-Foy, Québec. Organized by les Patineurs Maîtres de Québec, this is the third running of the Marathon de Québec.

Entry forms are now available here. Information about schedule and accommodation are available here. For additional information, contact Gaétan Rochette.

For photos and a report of last year's event, see the MSS News – November 2006 Archive.

VIDEO FROM MASTERS WORLDS

For those of you who may not follow Andrew Love's Zen and the Art of Speed Skating, please see his most recent post and this amazing Video from Masters Worlds that Andrew put together of the 16th Masters International Speed Skating Games held last February in Calgary's Olympic Oval.

Great memories for the 288 skaters who were there plus coaches and family - and great foreshadowing of many more international masters events to come.

Thanks Andrew!!

1ST MASTERS INTERNATIONAL CANADIAN OPEN - CALL FOR ENTRIES

The 16th Masters International Speed Skating Games, held last March in Calgary, attracted 288 competitors from 14 different nations including 92 Canadians and 25 Americans. This is quite likely the greatest-ever single gathering of Canadian masters and is reported by the International Masters Speed Skating Group to be the largest assembly of masters speed skaters in its history.

Part of the attraction may have been the Oval's legendary fast ice which provided ample opportunity for competitors to set new personal records. Legend became reality as 93 International Masters Speed Skating Committee records were broken in the 4 days of competition.

Building on this success, the Olympic Oval has invited entries to the 1st Masters International Canadian Open to be held February 9 to 10, 2008 in Calgary. Information, received from Speed Skating Canada's Competitons Development Committee, indicates that this event will also be combined with the Canadian Masters Olympic Style Championship (CMOSC).

In 2006, the CMOSC only attracted 19 masters competitors to Ste. Foy. In 2007, this event was not held for reasons which are not entirely clear although there is some relationship to the poor turnout of masters in 2006.

According to the Meet Information and Entry Form, the Olympic Oval is planning on 150 competitors for the 2-day event next February. It's now up to masters skaters to rise to the occasion and seize this opportunity to keep building the sport in Canada - to make sure there is a 2nd and 3rd and 4th etc Masters International Canadian Open.

The registration deadline is December 8, 2007 - less than 8 weeks away. See you there!

CANADIAN MASTERS SET IMSSC RECORDS

The recent publication of updated International Masters Speed Skating Committee statistics included the following Canadian achievements among 146 new international masters records set during the 2006-07 competition season:

Agatha van der Starre - Ladies 75

500m - 1:15.02

1000m - 2:35.13

1500m - 3:50.26

Allround Small (500m, 1000m, 1500m) - 229.338

Nicole Slot - Ladies 35

1500m - 2:11.37

3000m - 4:34.88

Ron Johnston - Men 65

500m - 44.81

Patrick Kelly - Men 45

500m - 37.71

1000m - 1:19.10

Allround Small (500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m) - 170.221

Benoit LaMarche - Men 40

500m - 37.72

1500m - 1:53.85

Allround (500m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m) - 159.953

Jeffrey Bakal - Men 30

1500m - 1:54.52

3000m - 4:06.76

5000m - 7:09.04

Allround (500m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m) - 161.573

All of these achievements were among 93 new records established during the 16th Masters International Games held in Calgary's Olympic Oval during February 22 - 25, 2007 with the exception of Patrick Kelly's 1000m time and Allround Small points which were set in Switzerland during January 13 - 14, 2007 in the 8th Masters International Speed Skating Davos Meeting.

Congratulations to all these competitors and to all masters who set national, provincial, track, club and personal records last season.