168 ST. History

[wineturtle]

Article linked on homepage implies Dr. Norb ran on an 11 lap banked track at 168St in 1960`s but I do not remember one ever being at 168St. .

[dukehjsteve]

That track definitely was not banked in the 60's. I was there.

[dj]

That track definitely was not banked in the 60's. I was there.

And it was 8 laps to the mile, not 11.

Vecsey screwed up.

[CookyMonzta]

That track definitely was not banked in the 60's. I was there.

And it was 8 laps to the mile, not 11.

Vecsey screwed up.

Aye. I ran for Brooklyn Tech 1980-84. The banked 200 track was installed at the end of 1998, sitting on top of a Mondo surfaced flat 200 track that was laid out in 1993. Under that, we still have the mildly splintered wood surface where a 220y oval was drawn out with yellow and/or white paint a very long time ago.

[racewalker]

[Aye. I ran for Brooklyn Tech 1980-84. The banked 200 track was installed at the end of 1998, sitting on top of a Mondo surfaced flat 200 track that was laid out in 1993. Under that, we still have the mildly splintered wood surface where a 220y oval was drawn out with yellow and/or white paint a very long time ago.

Mildly splintered? In the early 1970's I took a fall at the first turn of a relay and came up looking like a porcupine. It was MAJORLY splintered.

[elevenlaps]

You guys are all correct. The old Armory track was acually a hardwood floor delineated by a border measured at 220 yards or eight laps to the mile. A spill could result in some nasty splinters. The writer of the article on Norb Sander was confused--the banked board track--160 yards--was used in the meets in Madison Square Garden. Still there now, only it's Mondo surface, and still used only by the Millrose Games and the Colgate meet (January 30 and 31 this year).

[measurer]

Old Armory

I ran on the old Armory Track in HS (67-70), later I coached teams there through 1978. Flat hardwood 220 yard track with plenty of splinters. I can still smell the Ben Gay!
The present MSG Track is 11 laps to 1600 meters (145.45454m) - Mondo on wood with a steel frame. the sprint straights is rolled out Mondo on concrete.

[Walt Murphy]

There was never a more exciting race than an 880-relay on that flat wooden track. Probably responsible for more splinters than all other events combined

[wineturtle]

Next event :29 trial heats of the Novice 4x220relay

There was never a more exciting race than an 880-relay on that flat wooden track. Probably responsible for more splinters than all other events combined

And hours and hours of them!!

Starting those races undernearth the overhang made a .32 sound like a cannon... Instant Tinnitus

[dukehjsteve]

My last appearance at a 168th Armory meet.... an all-comers in mid-December 63 or 64. Working my way home for Christmas from Duke, left a friend's house in suburban DC, dropped at Wash. National airport, take the Eastern Shuttle ( for $ 27) to LGA, then a taxi to Penn Station. Change into my uniform and sweats somewhere, then stash all my luggage and normal clothes in a locker there at Penn Station. With just the locker key and enough money for a few subway tokens, then take the 8th Ave. subway to 168th St. Afterwards, reverse the process back to 34th St/Penn Station, grab my gear, then finally the LIRR to home town Huntington. A long day !

[lonewolf]

dukehjsteve's odyssey reminds me of a similar and completly different experience I had circa 1952 when I was competing for Oklahoma State (nee Okla A&M.)
I was attending a week long geology field camp in the Arbuckle Mountains, 120 miles south of Norman, Oklahoma, scrambling up and down "mountains", such as they are, sleeping on the ground and all that good stuff. The instructor. loyal Cowboy that he was, excused me on Saturday to compete against the hated Sooners in the annual OU/OAMC dual meet at OU.

Hitchhiking was no big deal in those pre-interstate , pre- Billy Cook days, especially if you were wearing an OU or OkState letter jacket. Some one drove me to the hiway and I hitchhiked up Hwy 77 from Arbuckle to Norman, arriving in time for the afternoon meet where I did a full complement of sprints, relays and jumps.

I do not recommend that as pre-meet routine but, miracle of miracles, that was the only time I ever defeated OU's South African Olympian long jumper, Neville Price. Admittedly, it was not because I PRed or anything dramatic, he just had a bad day

[CookyMonzta]

[Aye. I ran for Brooklyn Tech 1980-84. The banked 200 track was installed at the end of 1998, sitting on top of a Mondo surfaced flat 200 track that was laid out in 1993. Under that, we still have the mildly splintered wood surface where a 220y oval was drawn out with yellow and/or white paint a very long time ago.

Mildly splintered? In the early 1970's I took a fall at the first turn of a relay and came up looking like a porcupine. It was MAJORLY splintered.

Ay! Obviously they smoothed it out since your last run there. I tripped and fell on it twice (1983 and '84), and hardly came up with so much as a toothpick. I was probably one of the lucky ones, because there were spots on the track that still had pin-sized splinters.

[CookyMonzta]

You guys are all correct. The old Armory track was acually a hardwood floor delineated by a border measured at 220 yards or eight laps to the mile. A spill could result in some nasty splinters. The writer of the article on Norb Sander was confused--the banked board track--160 yards--was used in the meets in Madison Square Garden. Still there now, only it's Mondo surface, and still used only by the Millrose Games and the Colgate meet (January 30 and 31 this year).

On the backstraight is an entryway that is about 20 yards deep, under the stands on the far side of the floor. That entryway plus the space on the infield was long enough to run 100y dashes back then. Once they came out of that entryway, they'd have another 70 to 80y to run on the infield straightaway. I wonder what the Armory record is for 100y, because I've never seen it posted, unless it's there and I never bothered to look..

[wineturtle]

The 100 yds ran smackdown the center. you started back at the top of the ramp and ran to the concession end .You had about 8-10 yards to pick which door you ran thru because there was a wall in lanes 3456.

I believe St Francis Games was the last meet to run the 100yds and I remember running flat was a big deal I believe high school 168 record is 9.8h
Dave Myer, Berner, Massapequa St Francis Games 1972

I am pretty sure a few AAU development meets thurs(?)nights ran it as a handicap event but I do not remember times.
I think I ran an 10.7 to advance to semis in 1962 St Francis.

[BillVol]

There was never a more exciting race than an 880-relay on that flat wooden track. Probably responsible for more splinters than all other events combined

Walt, I always figured you to be around 22,23 years old. But this post is dating you somewhat...