Gainesville Hosts USATF Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships

The annual USATF Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships is set to take place in Gainesville Thursday through Sunday.

Over 1,100 athletes are set to compete in the four-day event held at the Alachua County Sports and Events Center at Celebration Pointe. The event was held in Chicago, Illinois, last year.

Crystal Muse won the shot put, superweight throw and weight throw in the W50 division last year. Joseph Chimino won the men’s 3000-meter race in the M70 division.

This year’s participants include athletes ranging from ages 25 to 97 year old, six Olympians and 62 Master’s world champions. 45 international athletes from 24 countries will also compete.

Track events include 60-meter, 1500-meter and 3000-meter races, among others. On the field, weight throw, long jump and triple jump events highlight the slate. Most events are split by age divisions.

The competition begins at 8 a.m. each day, starting on Thursday. The first two days of the event run until 6:30 p.m., with Saturday until 7:30 p.m. and then closes on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.  Admission is free.