The Millrose Games Inspire a New Generation of Track Stars

While Sunday, February 11th, was a significant day in the football world, another group of athletes took center stage earlier that morning. February 11th, 2024, marked the 116th Millrose Games, one of the most prestigious indoor track and field competitions in the world. The Millrose games is a long-standing and cherished New York City tradition that attracts thousands of in-person viewers along with other fans watching online. It is only fitting that this fast-paced event is hosted in the city that never sleeps. Upon its founding in 1908, the Millrose Games were held for nearly 100 years at the iconic Madison Square Garden. However, they were recently moved to The Armory in the heart of Washington Heights to allow for a larger audience. The Millrose Games hosts Olympians, college athletes, high-schoolers, and kids who all share the same goal: breaking the tape. Once a year, international and out-of-state athletes travel to New York City with the hopes of making a name for themselves in the track world.

The Millrose Games is best known for its New York Road Runners Wanamaker Mile named in honor of the game’s founding by the employees of the Wanamaker department store in 1908. Originally, popularity for the race grew because of its shocking 10:00 P.M. start time and Madison Square Garden location, but recently popularity has surged again because of the sheer number of records broken.

This year, the athletes certainly made their mark. With ticket prices for the esteemed event spanning from $50 to $800, the viewers were in for a treat. Renowned athlete Josh Kerr, the British long-distance runner, set a new world record in the two-mile race, clocking in at an astounding eight minutes and three seconds. For the first time ever, Riverdale’s own 4x800 team qualified to compete in The Millrose Games. The 4x800 team ran alongside the country’s best 4x800 teams, and Riverdale impressively placed in 8th. Avid runner and sophomore Ella Atzil describes her experience at the games as “intimidating,” yet “a really awesome experience.” Atzil felt particularly inspired in “knowing that the pros were doing the same thing right after me.” For Atzil, it was not only the fact that she was competing with runners all across the world— between New Zealand, Germany, Britain, and Japan—but she was awed that it was all taking place “in the middle of the city.” While walking up the steps of The Armory, she realized how her city had truly “brought people together from all over the world.”

One Riverdale community member got to experience the Millrose Games event from the coach’s side, offering his knowledgeable insight into this incredible event. This year, instead of running at the Millrose Games, Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Alex Petrecca coached the record-shattering girl’s 4x800 team. Petrecca emphasized The Millrose Games’ impact on aspiring NYC track athletes, describing how “Millrose brings the city together to cheer on some of the best track athletes on the planet, while also celebrating local high school talent at the highest level.” He described how this combination “leads to high-level performances and a raucous crowd, which culminated in many records.” The relay’s final leg, sophomore Vivian Ostfeld, and co-writer of this article, experienced just this. Ostfeld described how the positive vibe of the NYC crowd, and the fierce competitors helped lead her to a personal best time. Ostfeld deemed the sporting event a “must watch’’ because of its significance in the running world and promising future. Although it was Riverdale’s 4x800 relay’s first time competing at Millrose, Ostfeld ensured that, “it certainly won’t be their last.”