Posted by Dresonic on April 30th, 2007

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania - It
was as if she never retired from competitive track and field, found a
job and gave birth to three children.

Friday night the hundreds of track
and field faithful who braved the horrible weather and stayed for the
late events rose as one to salute one of the greats of the Penn Relays.

That individual is former Vere Technical and Jamaica middle
distance runner, 35-year-old Inez Turner. In the twilight of her
career, she circled the track to anchor the Executive Club to victory
in the Olympic Development Women’s Mile Relay here.

She got the baton about 20 metres in front and was never threatened, as she strolled to what was her 10th Penn Relays watch.

The meet announcer saluted her and
the media flocked to her after the race and she was as gracious as ever
- her 1000 mega-watt smile brightening the gloom at Franklin Field.

The former Commonwealth Games 800m
champion and IAAF World Championship 4×400m bronze medalist, said she
got back into track a year ago.

As if any of the veteran Penn
Relays journalist could forget, she reminded them that the 4×800m World
Junior record (8:37.71 seconds) the 1991 Vere Technical team set still
stands, and her 2:03.2 anchor leg is still the fastest 800m split ever
run at the Relays.

Turner, whose children are eight,
four and three years old, said she holds down two jobs, including a
coach at a North Carolina College. “It is a real blessing to be here, I
wanted to come back and run here so badly,” she noted.

She had no immediate plans for track, except to keep fit and see how fast she can run.