Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory
- Greg Venuto
- Mar 19
- 5 min read
Photos by Greg Venuto, Stadium Journey
216 Fort Washington Avenue
Between 168th Street and 169th
New York, NY 10032
While the Armory is best known for running, it was a building of many stories back in the day. It was home to the 22nd Regiment of the Army Corps of Engineers and was used to give licensing exams for those who wished to become architects, engineers, and nurses. It was built originally to house local units of the state's volunteer militia and later the National Guard.
The second chapter was about a premier indoor track facility in the 1980s, but that story was derailed for some time as the Armory was used as an NYS homeless shelter.
The final or ongoing chapter began in 1993 when New York State sold the Armory to the City of New York for $1 and the keys were turned over to then Mayor David Dinkins, who handed them to Dr. Norbert Sander. This marked the beginning of the Armory's transformation from a homeless shelter into an athletic center. It officially reopened for competition on December 18 of that year with the 40th running of the Bishop Loughlin games. Dr. Sander, friends, and colleagues raised the money by lobbying city corporations and athletic companies to restore the Armory and eventually become a world-class track facility.
Dr. Sander, who passed away in 2017, was an American physician and runner who won the New York City Marathon in 1974. He also won the New Orleans and Yonkers Marathons in the same year and is the only NYC resident to win the New York Marathon. Sander, elected to the Fordham Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, was a key member of the track and cross-country teams while a student at Fordham University.
Now the facility is probably most famous for hosting the Millrose Games one of the most acclaimed indoor track and field competitions in the world. The Millrose moved to the Armory in 1992 after being held at Madison Square Garden since 1914. The 117th edition of the Millrose was just completed on February 8 before a capacity crowd of over 5,000 spectators.
The spacious third floor is home to the Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory (renamed in 2023), a 200-meter, six-lane banked mondo track, two large runways and sand pits, a pole vault pit, and a throws cage. In September 2024, the track was revamped, with the removal of five older layers of track material and the changing of the surface color from red to blue. The 60,000-square-foot center is one of the premier indoor track and field facilities in the United States and one of only five World Athletics-certified indoor facilities in the country.
But when the Millrose closed down, the action heated up as the Armory hosted 12 meets over the next 11 days. “It’s our busiest time of the season,’” said Rita Finkel, co-president of the Armory Foundation. “It feels a bit like Grand Central Station around here when everything gets going only a bit more organized,” said fellow co-president Jonathan Schindel. The building hosts youth, high school, college, and adult competitions.
The Center hosts over 100 events per year on its famous Mondo track which is noted for being one of if not the fastest indoor track in the world. Mondo is an Italian company from Alba Italy. An estimated one million miles are run at The Armory each year.
“It’s a banked track so as you come down you gain speed,” said Schindel. “The building is old and it gets loud and as the athletes race the crowd noise gives them a shot of adrenalin.”
“The volume of cheering is like having the wind at the backs of the runners”, added Finkel.
The next major track event on the Armory calendar year is the Nike Indoor Nationals scheduled for March 13-16 followed by the CUIMC (Columbia University Irving Medical Center) Team Relay Marathon at The Armory is April 23-26. The divisions are open 0–39 years of age, or mixed ages, masters 40-49 years of age, grand masters 50–59 years of age, and senior grand masters 60+ years of age. The proceeds go to the Armory Foundation and admission is free.
Another huge event is March 29 when The Armory hosts the Indoor Track and Field Camp for high school athletes. There is a fee to enter but New York City Public School students received a 50% discount. The camp gives athletes a chance to interact and learn from past Armory champions including Olympians.
The non-profit foundation is the backbone of the facility. It oversees the building and hosts over 100 track meets annually. The foundation has a symbiotic relationship with the local community and strives to promote interest in fitness and the sport of track and field through an array of community programs and after-school activities.
The Armory offers both a College Prep Middle School and High School Program to provide college prep and academic counseling services and community programs our community programs to hundreds of under-resourced New York City public high school students.
The building is known by many names, including Fort Washington Avenue Armory, Fort Washington Armory, The Armory, and the 22nd Regiment Armory. The arena and fabled track are located on the third floor and in January of 2023, a partnership with Nike led to the renaming of the facility as the Nike Track & Field Center.
The building is brick Classical Revival with Romanesque Revival Elements, such as the entrance arch, and is currently home to the non-profit Armory Foundation, National Track and Field Hall of Fame, Nike Track & Field Center, and other organizations including the Police Athletic League of New York City.
Americans set two world records at the recently completed Millrose Games. Yared Neguse in the Wanamaker Mile, the featured event, with a time of 3:4,6, and Grant Fisher in the 3,000 meters with a time of 7:22.91. Elle St. Pierre, a two-time Olympian, set the women’s Wanamaker Mile record in 2024 with a 4:16.41.
The Center is one of the premier indoor track and field facilities in the United States and one of only five World Athletics-certified indoor facilities in the country.
“We try to keep the Armory as accessible to the community as possible,” said Finkel. “In June it quiets down a bit. Some of the other events include fashion shows and robotics competitions. We also run yoga and fitness classes for seniors two days a week.”
The Armory Foundation organizes programs for kids in every age group to expose youngsters to education, exercise, training, and healthy living. In July, there is a 6-week summer program held Mondays through Thursdays from 9-4 pm for middle and high school students.
“We rely on fundraisers and sponsors”, said Finkel.
The Armory costs only $10 for admission for the opportunity to train. It is open from 9 am to 7 pm daily.
“Our location is great because we are one block from the subway (A, C, and 1 train) and it’s a 16-minute ride to Columbus Circle and 18 minutes to Times Square”, said Schindel.
In 1995, the Armory was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2002 the National Track and Field Hall of Fame moved to the Armory. It is the only Hall of Fame housed in an active sports venue. The Hall of Fame is available to tour by appointment only.
“We’ve made the necessary improvements to keep it operating, but we also want to keep it nostalgic,” Schindel said. “We added to the excitement with a new LED scoreboard (four-sided) but at the same time we don’t want to take away from the classic atmosphere. I’ve made the comparison to Wrigley Field a few times”.
Comments