Let the Millrose Games Begin!

By DANIEL STEIN-SAYLES

Olympic gold medalists and world champions were on hand at a press conference on Thursday for the 109th New York Road Runners (NYRR) Millrose Games.

The track and field event, which will take place on Saturday, February 20th at The New Balance Track and Field Center at The Armory in Washington Heights attracts top athletes from the high school, collegiate, and professional ranks. This year’s event is expected to attract over 1,000 athletes including Olympic track medalists Ashton Eaton, Allyson Felix, and Nick Willis.

In addition to the normal slate of events, the “Invictus Dash” a race featuring active and retired American military service members will be held for the first time at the Millrose Games. Armory Foundation President, Norbert Sander, who spoke at the conference said, “it should be a highlight” of the day.

Sander also noted the Millrose Games place along the road to this year’s summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil and that the field of high performing athletes represents an opportunity to celebrate.

The athletes in attendance also had their eyes set on Rio.

“The focus is, as everyone is echoing, is on making the Olympic team and running well there,” Molly Huddle, a long-distance runner who will be competing in the 5000 meters, said.

One of this year’s highlighted races will be the NYRR Wanamake Mile, which will feature a rematch between defending champion and World Championship silver medalist Matthew Centrowitz and Olympic silver medalist Nick Willis, who finished a step behind Centrowitz in last year’s race.

This year’s Millrose games will mark the fifth year it will be held at the Armory, a venue Sander called “the mecca of indoor track.” Before its move, the games were held at the mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden for over 90 years.

Natasha Hastings, a sprinter and New York City native is excited to be returning to the Armory track where she has been running for much of her life.

“I am excited to be home in hometown. I remember running on the Armory track before it was even banked so it is always special to come home and run in front of the hometown crowd,” Hastings said.

“The Millrose track is incredibly fast with an amazing atmosphere,” runner Shannon Rowbury added about the venue.

NYRR president Michael Capiraso announced that Saturday’s event would be a sellout.

The event will be televised on Saturday by the NBC Sports Network.