All-Comers Track Meets Come to Central Kentucky
by Dr. Hildi Nicksic, University of Kentucky Kinesiology and Health Promotion
Question: What do the following have in common?
A 1-year-old recording a 9-inch long jump
A 76-year-old racing the mile in preparation for an upcoming steeplechase
Four athletes, from 18 to 44 years of age, running a sub-6-minute mile
An 11-year-old athlete completing a personal “octathlon”
A family of four running a 4x100m relay with a 3-year-old on the lead-off leg
Answer: They all happened at the inaugural Central Kentucky All-Comers Meet! If you are not familiar with all-comers meets, they are “come one, come all” opportunities to participate in the sport of track and field.
Track and field is one of the oldest forms of athletic competition on record, and is still called “Athletics” on an international level. The sport originated in Greece centuries ago and has become a premier event in the modern Olympics.
Currently, spectators around the globe are gearing up to watch runners, jumpers, and throwers compete for gold in Paris starting August 2. (USA trials start June 21).
And although we may not all be Olympic-caliber athletes, what I love about track and field is that it truly offers something for everyone. You can run fast for a short distance or pace yourself across a longer distance (60m-10km). You can jump far or jump high or jump over obstacles (long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, hurdles, steeplechase). You can throw a heavy ball or a flat disc or a pointed spear (shot put, discus, javelin).
All-comers meets provide individuals a chance to try an event for the first time, to compete against others in a favorite event, to secure that PR (Personal Record), or to simply soak up the spirit and excitement of the experience. Historically, these events are locally held and use a grassroots approach to enable the community to experience running, jumping, and throwing in a safe, inclusive, structured environment that’s fun for all who come!
As a native of Eugene, Oregon, aka Track Town USA, where similar events have been taking place for over 70 years, I am personally thrilled to be part of the team facilitating these all-comers meets for Lexington and the surrounding areas. It was serendipitous that I found a fellow former Eugenian at John’s familiar with Eugene’s all-comers culture and a (now retired) colleague at UK who loves the sport as much as I do – and had direct connections to the newly constructed track at Asbury University as the cross country and recently appointed track coach. Together with Randy Crist, Kellen Ague-Kneeland, and Riley Marshall, we took a vision and made it a reality.
Held on June 18 at Asbury University’s brand-new facility and hosted by John’s Run/Walk Shop, ASICS, and the University of Kentucky’s Kinesiology and Health Promotion Department, the first ever Central Kentucky All-Comers Meet offered eight events: 50m, 100m, 400m, 1600m, 4x100m relay, long jump, and turbo javelin.
We had over 100 participants who competed, with an inspiring range of ages and abilities. The informal nature of all-comers meets facilitated a truly special opportunity for community members to come together in a spirit of comradery for fun, but still official, participation in track and field.
Our second meet will be held on July 2 at 6:00 pm at Asbury University. For $5, interested individuals can compete in the 50m, the 100m, the 400m, the 800m, the long jump, and the turbo javelin, as well as both relays (4x100m and 4x400m). Any four humans can create a team!
All equipment is provided. And, while we started with just two events this first summer, we plan to expand both number of meets and number of events offered at each meet in future summers.
We want everyone to experience the fun of an all-comers meet and hope the Central Kentucky All-Comers Series becomes an annual tradition within the community. If you’re able to join us on July 2, either as a participant or volunteer, click here. Pre- registration is encouraged, but onsite registration is also available.
To our awesome participants who made the first meet a success: Thank you for your participation! Your results are available here. To our amazing volunteers who made the meet possible: We appreciate you! Special shout out to our timer Leslie! Thank you for sharing your time to make this an enjoyable, educational, and smoothly-run event.
Dr. Hildi Nicksic is a passionate track fan who loves watching people run in circles. Still a Lexington newbie, she is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky where she teaches future teachers. Reach out at hnicksic@uky.edu.