Margaret Davis Gets "Elite" Number for Carlsbad Half-Marathon. Organizers finally get it right!

It's a good thing that Margaret "Mahgy" Davis has her daughter, Colleen Heublein, as her running partner/agent/handler/promoter and watch dog. For years the two have been running and winning marathons and half-marathons while promoters and officials would often pass over the accomplishments of this 80+ year old runner and her daughter. Colleen has had to, on several occasions, set the record straight with the organizers of the events and point out mistakes in scoring and their treatment of this "elite" runner. After last year's Carlsbad Half-Marathon Mahgy was DQed because officials thought that her time of 2:43 was an age-graded result and therefore it was thrown out. Once again it was Colleen to the rescue and she was able to get them to realize their mistake. As a result, the time was not only reinstated and was good enough for her division win, but also for the age-graded overall race win!


The below article was recently posted on the Runners World website. The organizers of this years Carlsbad race are to be commended for making things right by issuing Mahgy a special number for this year's race. Well done, guys. And check your timers carefully 'cause here comes Mahgy!



Age earns runner elite racing number for Carlsbad contest
By Diane Bell, UNION-TRIBUNE COLUMNIST
Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at midnight
Fax Diane at619-260-5009 Call Diane at 619-293-1518
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Two-digit race entry numbers normally are reserved for elite athletes. However, Margaret Davis is being assigned the No. 87 bib in the Tri-City Medical Center Carlsbad Half Marathon to take place Jan. 24. That’s because Davis is 87 and the race’s oldest entrant.
She will be joined by two other octogenarians — both 81.
Davis, who lives in Azusa, won in the half marathon’s 80-to-99 age division last year with a time of two hours, 43 minutes. But the timing company, wrongly assuming that her amazing age-graded performance had to be an error, omitted her time from published results.
It was only after Davis’ daughter, Colleen Heublein of Valley Center, brought the omission to the attention of race organizers that the omission was corrected. This year the race committee wanted to do something special for Davis, hence the No. 87 racing bib.
Davis said she competes in several half marathons a year, but only one full marathon, the Los Angeles Marathon in March. While she suffers some back and knee pain, she is training at her gym and ran 11 miles on Saturday to prepare for the 13.1-mile Carlsbad race.
“I get a kick out of beating runners in their 70s,” Davis said with a chuckle.


Mahgy looks relaxed and ready for Sunday's
Carlsbad Half-Marathon. She actually looks
like she might decide to go around twice! That
would really mess up timing and scoring!!

Mahgy brought home another 1st Place medal
from the 2009 LA Marathon.

Mahgy is a promoter of exercise and good
nutrition for seniors and the elderly. She encourages
them to get out and do what they can do. She
also has a lot of influence with young people
which is why several of her grandchildren
are now running. Kristy Roblee (r) poses with Colleen
and Mahgy after finishing the 2009 LA Marathon.

Mahgy and Colleen on their way to winning the
2009 Long Beach Half-Marathon. Who has more
fun than they do?

In the Carlsbad race Mahgy won't have to write
her age on her legs....it'll be on her bib!!!

It's all good!

Great granddaughter Kassady Heublein and

daughter Colleen. The bar's been raised pretty

high, Lil' Kass!