Millrose Games

History

The Millrose Games began in 1908 at a local armory the same year when its parent, the Millrose Athletic Association, was formed as a recreational club by the employees of the John Wanamaker Department Store. "Millrose" was the name of the country home of Rodman Wanamaker in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.

In 1914, after overflowing the armory the year before, the Millrose Games moved to Madison Square Garden, and until 2011 was the oldest continuous sporting event held there. For 10 years beginning in 1916, the Wanamaker 1 ½ Mile race was a highlight of the meet. Run for the last time in 1925, the final edition was won by Paavo Nurmi, the nine-time Olympic gold medalist from Finland. In 1926, the distance was shortened, and the Wanamaker Mile was born. It has often been run at 10 p.m., a carryover from the days beginning in the 1930s when noted sports announcer Ted Husing would broadcast the race live on his 10 p.m. radio show.

The Wanamaker Mile has been won by over 44 different men, including Glenn Cunningham, Kip Keino, Tony Waldrop, Filbert Bayi, Steve Scott, Noureddine Morceli, Bernard Lagat, Marcus O'Sullivan, Ron Delany, and Eamonn Coghlan. Coghlan was known as the “Chairman of the Boards” for his dominance on the old wooden Millrose track and won the mile seven times, a feat surpassed only by Bernard Lagat, who won his eighth Wanamaker Mile in 2010.

Some highlights in Millrose history include Ray Conger's 1929 upset win over Nurmi in the Wanamaker Mile; pole vaulter Cornelius Warmerdam becoming the first person to vault 15 ft indoors, in 1942; John Thomas hitting the first 7 ft high jump, in 1959; Mary Decker’s run to a 1500-meter World Indoor Record to encouragement from the crowd, in 1980; John Uelses becoming the first person to pole vault the height of 16 feet; Carl Lewis in 1984 breaking the World Indoor Record with a jump of 28 ft, 10.25 inches, a mark that still stands; Eamonn Coghlan notching his then record seventh Wanamaker Mile in 1987; Bernard Lagat breaking Coghlan's record with his eighth Wanamaker Mile triumph in 2010, and Stacy Dragila setting a late-night pole vault world record in 2001.

For 70 of its first 96 years, the role of Millrose meet director was a father-son affair: Fred Schmertz directed the meet in 1934, passing on that position to his son Howard in 1975. In 2003, the title of Meet Director Emeritus was bestowed on the younger Schmertz.

In May 2011 Norbert Sanders, the President of the Millrose Games, announced that, starting January 2012, the games would be moved to the Armory in Washington Heights, at 168th Street, and that a new all-day Saturday schedule would replace the Friday evening format.

The Millrose Games, operated by The Armory Foundation, are also notable for their rigid anti-doping policies. In 2017, Millrose race director Ray Flynn told an ESPN reporter, "We have a mandate that we don't invite any athlete that has had any drug history in their past. We want to keep our meet free of any athlete that really has a violation."

The Millrose Games were first added to the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold Standard in 2022.

At the 2023 Millrose Games, Dr. Anthony Fauci attended and was honored with The Armory's Presidents Award.

At the 2024 Millrose Games, the President of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, was given The Armory's Presidents Award.

Editions

Meeting directors

The Millrose Games has had ten meeting directors over its rich history.

World records

Over the course of its history, five world records and three world bests have been set at the Millrose Games.

Meeting records

Men

Women

Notes

References

References

1. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/high_school/2011/05/12/2011-05-12_millrose_games_after_almost_100_years_at_madison_square_garden_will_be_held_at_t.html ''New York Daily News'' May 12, 2011
2. "116th Millrose Games".
3. [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/sports/othersports/31millrose.html "Lagat Wins Mile at Millrose, Tying Coghlan’s Record"]. [[NYTimes.com. ''The New York Times'']], 2009-01-31.
4. (May 13, 2011). "Millrose Games to expand to ‘all day’ Saturday program, move to The Armory". [[The Armory Foundation]].
5. Williams, Doug. (February 9, 2017). "'I've realized what a plague doping is in our sport'". [[ESPN.com]].
6. "World Athletics Indoor Tour {{!}} World Athletics".
7. "World Athletics Indoor Tour {{!}} World Athletics".
8. Bishop, Greg. (2023-06-22). "One of New York City's Most Impressive Landmarks Is Turning 115".
9. Millrose Games 2024 In-Person Booklet
10. Lewis, John. (2011-11-22). "Radio Master". Publish Green.
11. (1909-01-17). "POSTAL CLERKS HOLD RECORD MEET". The New York Times.
12. (1910-01-05). "RELAY RACE A FEATURE AT WANAMAKER GAMES.". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
13. (1910-01-30). "GISSING TO RESCUE CLOSES A HUGE GAP. Pulls Out Relay Race at the Wanamaker Games.". New-York Tribune.
14. "Millrose Men 600m".
15. "Millrose Men 3000m".
16. "Millrose Men Mile".
17. (2020-12-22). "2021 News".
18. "Millrose Games 2024 Results".
19. "Millrose Games 2025 Results".
20. "Millrose Games 2026 Results".
21. "Meet Directors".
22. (9 February 2020). "Purrier smashes North American indoor mile record at Millrose Games". World Athletics.
23. (21 February 2016). "Stefanidi and Payne clear 4.90m at Millrose Games - indoor round-up". IAAF.
24. (14 February 2015). "NYAC Men's 500m Run Results". nyrrmillrosegames.org.
25. "Results".
26. Elena Dyachkova. (15 February 2014). "Lagat's US 2000m record highlights Millrose Games". [[IAAF]].
27. (15 February 2014). "2000m Results". www.results.nyrrmillrosegames.org.
28. (11 February 2024). "Two Miles Result". World Athletics.
29. (12 February 2012). "Millrose Games 2012 Complete Results". www.armorytrack.com.
30. Parker Morse. (12 February 2012). "U.S. 5000m record for Lagat in New York". [[IAAF]].
31. Rosen, Karen. (February 12, 2023). "Nuguse breaks North American indoor mile record at Millrose Games".
32. (11 February 2024). "4×200m Result". World Athletics.
33. (16 February 2013). "4×800m Relay Results". www.branchsportstech.com.
34. (16 February 2013). "Distance Medley Relay Results". www.branchsportstech.com.
35. (11 February 2024). "60m Result". World Athletics.
36. Bob Ramsak. (4 February 2018). "USA breaks 4x800m world indoor record, Korir runs 1:44.21 African indoor 800m record at Millrose Games". IAAF.
37. (12 February 2012). "Millrose Games 2012 Complete Results". www.armorytrack.com.
38. Parker Morse. (12 February 2012). "U.S. 5000m record for Lagat in New York". [[IAAF]].
39. (11 February 2017). "Two American records set during 110th NYRR Millrose Games". runblogrun.com.
40. (16 February 2013). "600 Metres Results". www.branchsportstech.com.
41. (9 February 2020). "Purrier smashes North American indoor mile record at Millrose Games". World Athletics.
42. Jon Mulkeen. (12 February 2017). "Wilson, Hassan and Okolo shine on night of world leads and records at Millrose Games". IAAF.
43. (9 February 2020). "Purrier smashes North American indoor mile record at Millrose Games". World Athletics.
44. (11 February 2024). "Mile Run Result". World Athletics.
45. Rosen, Karen. (February 12, 2023). "Nuguse breaks North American indoor mile record at Millrose Games".
46. (11 February 2024). "Two Miles Result". World Athletics.
47. Taylor Dutch. (11 February 2024). "World and American Records Go Down at the 2024 Millrose Games".
48. (21 February 2016). "Stefanidi and Payne clear 4.90m at Millrose Games - indoor round-up". IAAF.
49. (11 February 2024). "60m Hurdles Result". World Athletics.
50. (11 February 2024). "High Jump Result". World Athletics.
51. (9 February 2020). "Purrier smashes North American indoor mile record at Millrose Games". World Athletics.
52. (11 February 2024). "Triple Jump Result". World Athletics.
53. Rosen, Karen. (February 12, 2023). "Nuguse breaks North American indoor mile record at Millrose Games".
54. Alfons Juck, Kevin Mangan. (17 February 2014). "EME News February 16th". www.american-trackandfield.com.
55. (15 February 2014). "Mile Walk Result". www.results.nyrrmillrosegames.org.
56. (11 February 2023). "Women's 4×200m Relay Results". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS).
57. Bob Ramsak. (4 February 2018). "USA breaks 4x800m world indoor record, Korir runs 1:44.21 African indoor 800m record at Millrose Games". IAAF.
58. (16 February 2013). "Distance Medley Relay Results". www.branchsportstech.com.