Allan Cook, an admired veteran middle-distance runner with Western Athletics, had only one focus in sight, until a phone call in May set him on a new track, one that dreams are made of.
The next World Masters Games was the only event on the 52-year-old’s mind before the call came, inviting him to represent Australia in an over-50s 800-metre masters race, featuring 10 elite athletes from around the world, at the International Association of Athletics Federations [IAAF] world championships in Beijing on August 29.
“I’ve been running for many years and it’s taken me 42 years to make a national Australian team – that’s something you dream of as a kid,” Cook told Star Weekly. “I’ll be lapping it all up.
“The same night I’m running, Usain Bolt is running in the Jamaican four-by-100-metre final, if they make it, and hopefully [British star] Mo Farrah is running the five-kilometre final.
“It will be unbelievable, certainly the biggest thing that has happened in my athletics life.”
Cook is thrilled that a masters event has been included on the IAAF program.
“It’s the first time they’ve done this in the history of the IAAF world championships.”
He doesn’t know whether it will be a one-off event or a permanent fixture, so he’s going to savour every minute.
“It’s a unique event, a straight final with no heats, and it could be a one-off,” Cook said.
“Athletics Australia have added me to their open team so I get full accreditation and everything that the Australian team gets – so I’ve got good support.”
The reality of training up for this month’s event hit home fast for Cook. He had to switch from cross-country training back into track and field mode to be ready for the summer conditions.
Cook has raced most of the other 10 athletes and beaten most, but he goes in with the disadvantage of having to race out of season.
“I didn’t find out until May so I’ve been training flat out ever since to get ready for that,” he said. “It’s been a bit difficult over winter doing summer training.
“Most of the athletes I’m competing against are in the northern hemisphere, so they’ve been competing in track and field competitions all over our winter,” he said.
“But I’m ready to go. I don’t think there’s anything more I can do … everything at the moment is going to plan.”
Cook was the 1500-metre over-50s champion at the World Masters Games in Brazil in 2013.
At the same games, he came second in the 800-metre final to Sweden’s Gunnar Duren – one of the 10 athletes who will feature in the special masters event in Beijing.
“He’s one of my main rivals and it will be good to get another crack at him,” Cook said. “I’ve got some good opposition … I can’t wait for the challenge to race these guys.”
And while Cook will be watching the open athletics events each day, he hopes the masters event is a great success.
“Hopefully, it continues to happen – to showcase that, just because you’re over a certain age, you can still compete and be good at it.”
