The Empire State Building will be turned blue and white, the official colors of the 105th Millrose Games Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The top of New York City’s tallest building will be lit blue and white in honor of Saturday’s Millrose Games taking place at the Armory’s New Balance Track & Field Center.
The country’s top men’s and women’s track & field athletes along with the finest college and high school student-athletes will showcase their talents during the famed New York City indoor meet.
President of the Millrose Games Dr. Norbert Sander thanked the Empire State Building for the tribute and said, “I can’t think of a higher honor for the Armory to welcome the top track & field athletes from around the world to New York City than the Empire State Building shining blue and white, the official colors of the Millrose Games. This is above and beyond!”
The Armory previously announced 22-year-old Matthew Centrowitz, the 1,500m Bronze medal winner in the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, will be in this year’s NYRR Wanamaker Mile.
Other celebrated track & field representatives confirmed for the Millrose Games include 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner LaShawn Merritt, who will compete in the 500m event, eight-time Wanamaker Mile champion Bernard Lagat will run in the 5,000m, and American record holder and 2008 Olympic Bronze medal winner David Oliverwill be compete in the 60m Hurdles.
Three U.S. National records in the 5,000m event could fall and also the Millrose Games all-time mark. Lagat is attempting to break Galen Rupp’s American Indoor record of 13:11.44.
The other two American records at stake in the race will be the collegiate and high school marks as 11 “super” runners square off in one of the night’s most anticipated events. A fourth record – the Millrose mark of 13:20.4 – could be eclipsed. Suleiman Nyambui of Tanzania established that record in 1981 when he edged Alberto Salazar (13:22.6) to set a World Indoor record.
Contender for an Olympic Gold medal and current Outdoor High Jump World Champion Jesse Williams joins multi-World Champion and Olympic Gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross and World Champion/2008 USA Olympian Jennifer Simpson as confirmed athletes in the nation’s premier indoor track & field event.
Ross is in the women’s 400m Dash and Simpson will participate in the Millrose Games’ first New York Road Runners’ Wanamaker Metric Mile for Women along with two-time U.S. champion and 2008 Olympic finalist Shannon Rowbury.
Seven-time Wanamaker Mile champion and “Chairman of the Boards” Eamonn Coghlan returns to be part of this year’s Millrose Games. Coghlan will be the honorary coach of Ireland’s “Dream Team” from Dublin City University to compete in the Byron Dyce College Men’s Distance Medley Relay against national college power Villanova, coached by five-time Wanamaker Mile champion Marcus O’Sullivan of Ireland, and Duke, LaSalle, Manhattan and Albany.
For more information on the Millrose Games, click to www.millrose-games.org.
