Track and field fans converged upon The Armory New Balance Track and Field Center in upper Manhattan for the annual NYRR Millrose Games, a sold-out event featuring some of the sport’s most competitive athletes.
The Millrose Games, celebrating their 113th year, are an annual indoor track and field meet held each February here in New York City. The Games were started by employees of Wanamaker’s, once a popular Manhattan department store. The employees formed the Millrose Track Club to compete. The featured event of the Games is the Wanamaker Mile, won this year by Chris O’Hare, his second Wanamaker Mile win.
O’Hare, 29, born in Scotland, now living in Boston, won with a time of 3:55.61 while battling a cold. He built a solid lead over Olli Hoare of Australia and local runner Rob Napolitano. Their times were 3:56.47 and 3:56.56.
“Having two children, you’re in a constant state of sickness,” said O’Hare after the victory. His first Wanamaker Mile win was two years ago in 2018.
Also victorious was Donavan Brazier, the winner of the NewYork-Presbyterian Invitational Men’s 800 meter.
Brazier, 22, from Michigan, broke his own American record in the 800 meter with a 1:44.22 time, breaking the time of 1:44.41 that he set last year for which he won a gold medal at the 2019 World Championships.
“This was the best field, and this will give me more confidence and more reassurance that I’m not living off the experiences of last year,” Brazier noted, also stating that he’s starting to take indoor running more seriously.
Former Syracuse standout Justyn Knight, 23, from Canada, won the Dr. Sander Men’s Invitational 3,000 meters. Time? 7:46.36.
Nico Young, from California, a national cross-country champion, a senior in high school, set a new high school national mark of 7:56.97.
“I wanted to test my ability,” said Young, admittedly nervous before the race. “This is what I came here to do.”