World Athletics Heritage Plaque honoring NYRR Millrose Games and Wanamaker Mile
Photo by Armory Track’s Billy Cvecko
NEW YORK, NY, February 8, 2020 – USA Track & Field CEO Max Siegel and USATF COO Renee Washington will present the World Athletics Heritage Plaque to The Armory, recognizing the illustrious history of the NYRR Millrose Games and Wanamaker Mile.
Armory Foundation Co-Presidents Rita Finkel and Jonathan Schindel and New York Road Runners CEO Michael Capiraso will accept the award today during the 113th NYRR Millrose Games’ opening ceremony scheduled for 3:50 p.m.
“The Armory is the proud recipient of the World Athletics prestigious Heritage Award this year for the NYRR Millrose Games and the Wanamaker Mile,” Schindel said. “The World Athletics Heritage Plaque honors iconic and historic athletics competitions around the world, and The Armory is so pleased to be among such a select group of honorees.”
In December of 2018, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe introduced the idea and purpose behind World Athletics Heritage Plaque.
According to its website, the World Athletics Heritage “sets out to preserve the legacy of athletics, its heroes and heroines, their artefacts, and the documents, videos and photographs that portray them and in turn engage with and inspire the stars and fans of the present and future.
“Heritage will celebrate and forge connection across 3,000 years of our sport, telling athletics’ rich story, based upon a myriad of marvelous memories and moments which few other sports can match.”
Since its inception, there have been 54 World Athletics Heritage Plaques awarded, including the November 21, 2019 official ceremony to announce the Wanamaker Mile and five other distinguished track & field honorees.
Department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker started the Millrose Games and the Wanamaker Mile was named in his honor.
The Wanamaker Mile has been a fixture in track & field since it originated in 1926 at Madison Square Garden. It’s widely recognized as the signature and final event of each NYRR Millrose Games. In 2012, the NYRR Millrose Games moved from Madison Square Garden to Washington Heights, home to the renowned Armory New Balance Track & Field Center and its “Fastest Track in the World.”
Today, more than 200 athletes share the distinction of being both Millrose and Olympic champions. The 113th NYRR Millrose Games welcomes 29 Olympians competing before a NBC nationally-televised audience and a sold-out Armory. And, NYRR is the title sponsor of both the men’s and women’s Wanamaker Mile.
In 1926, James J. Connolly won the first Wanamaker Mile with a time of 4:17.2. Five-time Olympian Bernard Lagat holds the record for most Wanamaker Mile titles with eight, followed by Ireland’s Eamonn Coghlan, the Chairman of the Boards, with seven. Matt Centrowitz, who in 2016 won USA’s first gold medal in 108 years in the 1,500m at the Rio Olympics, owns three Wanamaker Mile titles.
Last year, Yomif Kejelcha set the Wanamaker Mile record with a 3:48.46 time and was 0.1 seconds from breaking the world indoor record for the mile.
To see each of the 54 World Athletics Heritage Plaques and the stories behind the plaques, go to www.worldathletics.org/Heritage/plaque.
For more information on the NYRR Millrose Games please visit www.nyrrmillrosegames.org. Follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @armorynyc, or go to ArmoryTrack.com or Armory.NYC.
About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.
About The Armory Foundation
The Armory Foundation is a New York City non-profit institution, with the mission of "Keeping Kids on Track." Each season The Armory – the proud home of the NYRR Millrose Games – hosts more than 100 track & field meets and welcomes more than 220,000 athlete visits. Among its many youth sports and educational programs, including the acclaimed Armory College Prep program, The Armory runs the leading collegiate indoor track meet with the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge, and also hosts the largest high school indoor track meets with this year's 26th U. S. Air Force Hispanic Games, The New Balance Games, the New Balance Nationals Indoors, the Energice Coaches Hall of Fame, Marine Corp Holiday Classic and the Colgate Games. The Armory also runs the Columbia & NewYork – Presbyterian Indoor Marathon presented by New York Road Runners, which is the world’s largest indoor marathon relay. The Armory is also the home to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame and dozens of very large education-focused events. For more: Visit Armory.NYC and ArmoryTrack.com.
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