The Millrose Games Will Mark

A HISTORY OF RACE WALKING at the MILLROSE GAMES 1911 – 2018 (last update March, 2018) The New York Road Runner’s Millrose Games, the oldest of the indoor meets, will mark its 111th anniversary on February 3rd, 2018. This will be the 7th year that the world-renowned Millrose Games will be held on the fast, friendly 200 meter synthetic track at the 169th Street Armory in uptown Manhattan Island. Yet many fans will always have the pleasant memories of Millrose within Madison Square Garden. Unforgettable is the pounding beat of racing feet upon its unique and challenging 145.4545 meter (160 yards), four (4) lane high banked wooden boards. But regardless of venue, the world-famous Millrose Games remain an outstanding spectacle for what is best about track & field. Loud boisterous crowds boost the energy level of every athlete. And within that environment, the walks are providing some of the most intense competition on the oval. Thus, we have an excellent opportunity to look back at the fine tradition of race walking. The Games got its start in 1907 when employees of the New York City branch of Wanamaker's department store formed the Millrose Track Club. "Millrose" was the name of the country home of the founder’s son, Rodman Wanamaker, a great supporter of the sport of athletics (T&F) at the beginning of the 20th century. Per the Games’ archives, this will be the sixty-eighth Millrose to include the race walk for men, and the twelfth for the women. But, perhaps unknown to most, the walks were conducted at Madison Square Garden long before the Millrose Games even came to be. In fact, the Millrose Games has its roots in the affinity New Yorkers have always had for contests featuring raw endurance, like race walking. Pedestrianism, as it was then called, came into vogue after the civil war with many famous races taking place at Madison Square Garden, including the six-day Astley and O’Leary Belt races of the 1870’s and 1880’s. Winners in those events were awarded incredible riches, prize money sums that - even today - would make many athletes jealous. However, the walks would not find their way into the Millrose Games until 1911. Conducted periodically until 1978, it has been contested annually since then. The women’s mile was added for first time to help celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Millrose Games in 2007. Today, the walks – The Susan Rudin USA Indoor 1 Mile Championships for both the men and the women – are featured events sponsored by one of New York City’s most prominent families through the Rudin Foundation. The Rudins were the first sponsors of the New York City Marathon. The Marathon trophy is named for their father, Samuel Rudin, a devoted marathoner. Susan is the wife of Sam Rudin’s son, Jack. Fittingly, race walking has done its part in enhancing the tradition and excitement of the Games by bringing the crowd to its feet with multiple world indoor records at the Millrose Games over the years… Born in Berlin, Germany, Henry Laskau was the first of the modern-day race walkers who electrified the crowds at Madison Square Garden. After losing his family to the concentration camps, Laskua found his way to America where he provided counter intelligence support to the army after the USA’s entrance into World War II. Switching from distance running after the war to race walking, Laskua became a 3 time Olympian. It was during the height of his career in 1951 when he brought the Garden’s crowd to his feet. Laskau’s record walk of 6:19.2 for the mile that evening became a world record which stood for 12 years. He is now a member of America’s Track & Field Hall of Fame. And, benefiting this race walker’s memory, the American Track & Field Hall of Fame is actually located in the Armory where the Millrose Games are now held. The walk was also heartily supported by long time Millrose Games meet director Howard Schmertz. Schmertz had an affinity for racewalking and he teamed with Laskua to invite the top walkers to New York City. As a result, the next significant mark in race walk history occurred with the 1979 win of Todd Scully. Scully’s time of 5:55.8 was race walking’s equivalent of Roger Bannister’s breaking of the 4-minute mile. Until 1979, no race walker had ever broken the 6-minute barrier. But once the barrier was breached the records kept coming and the times went tumbling down with Ray Sharp – who is still actively competing – and Jim Heiring, each claiming the record for a year or two. Then, in 1988, the most unbelievable athletic feat occurred! On the narrow Garden track the great Tim Lewis walked the still standing world indoor and USA record for the mile - 5:33.53 1. And then there is Allen James, the chairman of the boards for the race walk. In the long history of walking he has stood above the others in wins. While James has never set a record in the race walk while competing at the Millrose Games – he notched several in other competitions – he dominated an 8 year period with 7 victories. But race walk leadership is forever changing. Two-time Olympian Tim Seaman logged his 6th victory at age 39. That 2010 win tied Seaman with the great Henry Laskau for second all-time in national race walk titles won at 42. Only Track & Field Hall of Fame member Ron Laird has won more national titles during a career. Other multiple Millrose Games winners for the men are: Tim Lewis, who finished his career with 5 wins; Jonathan Hallman 4; Ed Renz 3; Willie Plant 3, Harry Hinkel 3, Todd Scully 3, Arthur Rosenstein 2, Henry Cieman 2, Jim Heiring 2, Ray Sharp 2, and Curt Clausen 2. And where will the next great race walker come from? Millrose has always had precocious high school teenagers. And sometimes they prevail in the often physical battle with the veterans and college stars. In 2003, and again in 2008, high school seniors pulled off surprising upsets. Zac Pollinger (2003) hailed from just across the Hudson in New Jersey. Texan Ricardo (Ricky) Vergara topped his twin brother Roberto (Robert) in his 2008 upset performance. And high school stardom doesn’t end there. Superb performances by youngsters can sometimes be hidden behind the wins of older, and physically more mature, superstars. 2010 was one of those years. Pennsylvania high school senior Trevor Barron did something truly special. The 17 year old from the Pittsburgh suburb of South Park smashed the national high school record in the one mile race walk with his third place finish behind his coach, Tim Seaman, and the Swede, Andreas Gustaffson. Barron, who would go on to break the American Junior (19 & younger) records at 5k, 10k and 20k, finished 3rd in 6:03.48. The old record of 6:11.0 was set way back in the 1990 Millrose Games by Paul Tavares of Centereach High School in New York. In 2011, the youth movement hit a peak when a trio of teenage athletes ruled the men's field. Leading the way was Barron. Following him, just five days after qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Trials at 20k, was 16 year old Torry Pines HS junior Tyler Sorensen. Pharr, Texas, high school senior Alex Chavez was third. Barron, still 19, went on to compete at the 2012 Olympic Games in London in the 20 kilometer Race Walk. 2014 goes down as the year the men’s world record for the mile was almost re-written! World class race walking returned to the Millrose Games in the personages of Robert Heffernan from Cork, Ireland, and his Swedish protagonist Andreas Gustafsson. Heffernan toed the start line as the prior summer’s Gold Medalist in the 50k walk at the 2013 Moscow World T&F Championships. Gustafsson, a year younger at 32, had the experience of having walked the banked oval before. And with the sound of the gun Gustafsson stepped out quickly to grab the lead. Heffernan quickly fell in step behind, drafted and looked for an opportunity to pass. And, just one race from his long- announced retirement, Tim Seaman was hoping to bite into one last Big Apple championship. The rest of the field became the chase pack. Heffernan’s inexperience with the short circuit became his downfall as he was never able to execute a pass. Eight laps later, tiring, but listening to long-time Millrose Games announcer Ian Brooks’ exciting exhortations to the standing room only crowd to urge him on, Gustafsson broke the tape completely spent. The Swede had outlasted the Irish gold medalist and earned the crystal cup by a margin of 5:34.45 to 5:39.75. But, fortunately for American Tim Lewis, Andreas left the world record and meet record of 5:33.54 for another day. 20-year old Jonathan Hallman would get the USA Championship medal awarded to the top American finisher as Seaman got a rare DQ. Jonathan Hallman would become the most dominate youngster ever with six straight appearances at the Susan Rudin USATF 1 Mile Race Walk Championships, In 2012, as a 17 year old, he would finish 3rd behind Michael Mannozzi, the Italian Stallion of Boardman, Ohio. But in 2014 Hallman put Pickens, South Carolina, on the world map of men’s racewalking when won five (5) straight USATF titles at the 1 mile distance – with four overall Millrose Games victories.

Load more