Armory Track & Field Center: New York
Armory Track & Field Center
The New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory stands as a brilliant jewel in the center of Washington Heights, an example of civic renewal at its best.
Built as a training center for the National Guard in 1909, it became a venue for many of the city’s biggest events, including Track & Field meets by the 1920s. In the sixties, the Armory was the unrivaled center for Track & Field competitions in greater New York. With the economic crises of the seventies and the scourge of homelessness in the eighties, The Armory was converted to a homeless shelter, housing over 1,800 beds. By 1987, New York Track & Field was driven from its historic home.
Renovations for the current incarnation of the Armory track began in 1993, when a flat surface MONDO track was installed, under the guidance of Dr. Norbert Sander, President of The Armory Foundation and Michael Frankfurt, esq., Chairman of the Board. In 1997, the banked track was constructed on top of the original, and The Armory track became a world-class facility.
The facility includes a pole vault runway, an eight-lane sprint and hurdle straightaway, two long jump pits, two high jump areas and a shot put area. The arena seats more than 4,000 people, and those fans have been treated to some classic performances over the years. On January 20, 2001 Alan Webb broke the high school indoor mile record by becoming the first to break four minutes, and Marla Runyan set a new American standard for the indoor 5,000 meters on February 19, 2001.
New Balance has offered unswerving support of this world class facility and the programs run in these four walls. The Armory Foundation is honored to be the host of the New Balance Track & Field Center, and pleased to have New Balance as a partner in the ongoing good work taking place here.