David Pain – 1922 to 2019

Several people were instrumental in starting Masters Athletics but David Pain was the pioneer for our international sport.

“As a then 44 year old not very fit lawyer, I thought competing against 20 year olds just didn’t seem right. I had been exposed to the Masters age group concept in handball and felt it would work in track. Our first efforts with selected Masters miles in track meets seemed to appeal to lots of people, so we tried the concept in a full track meet — although we eschewed such overly rigorous events as the triple jump and the steeple — dividing the competitors into 10 year age groups. The idea caught on. Soon we had National championships and even International meetings” – David Pain from Ten Years Looking Back (1967 – 1977).

David organized US Masters International Track Team tour to six European cities in 1972. He also founded was meet director for the first six US Masters National Track & Field Championships.

David is a USATF Masters Hall of Fame member and the USATF MTF award for distinguished service bears his name.

Thank you David!

Credit: Leonard Olson, Masters Track and Field: A History

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