The Armory Rebranded as the Nike Track & Field Center

It’s arguably the most famous indoor track in the country. And now, the Armory Track in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood has been rebranded the Nike Track & Field Center at the Armory.

On Thursday, the sporting goods giant officially unveiled the name as part of a multilayered partnership intended to enhance and expand opportunities for children of all ages to take part in the track’s running activities. These include CityTrack, Little Feet and Tiny Feet programs for elementary and middle school kids, an Armory College Prep program for high school students and Armory College Prep Middle School and Great Minds programs for younger children.

More than 1 million miles are run on The Armory track each year and the venerable complex has played host to countless Olympic and World medal athletes who have set more records there than at any other indoor track. It is also the site of the famed Millrose Games.

“The synergy between our organization and Nike cannot be overstated,” said Jonathan Schindel, copresident of The Armory Foundation. “Keeping kids physically, mentally, culturally, socially and intellectually fit during their school years, and beyond, is paramount. The best way to achieve this is to develop healthy, well-rounded children who are prepared for success in and out of the classroom, instill in them a love and passion for movement, and provide them with fun opportunities to develop this passion. Now thanks to Nike, we will be able to ensure that children in our neighboring communities of Washington Heights, Inwood and Harlem will continue to have such opportunities, while enabling us to expand our outreach.”

The Armory Foundation copresident Rita Finkel added that the track will also benefit from Nike’s “expertise in running, youth play, sports and movement,” as well as its relationships with many of the top athletes and events including the Nike Indoor Nationals, the top high school indoor event.

“Our partnership with The Armory Foundation underscores Nike’s deep commitment to ensuring that communities have access to running and opportunities to play and stay active,” said Roderick Blaylock, vice president of NYC Nike Inc. “The Armory is not only one of the preeminent track and field facilities in the world, but it also has a long history of preparing students as young as fourth grade for higher education and college. Rooted in our belief that running and sports have the power to bring people together, we are teaming up with The Armory to champion community and athletes.”

Among the upcoming events at the track will be the HBCU Showcase on Jan. 14 where high school students will learn about campus life at approximately 20 prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as the Millrose Games on Feb. 15 and the Nike Indoor Nationals, slated for March 10 to 12.

The event also served to introduce the Nike ZoomX Invincible Run Flyknit 3 running shoe.

posted Sunday January 15th