Millrose Games History

Two-time Olympic champion Roger Kingdom will put his talents on display as will Marcus O'Sullivan (Ireland), chasing the legends of Eamonn Coghlan and Glenn Cunningham in quest of his sixth Wanamaker Mile victory. And one o the Games' all time fan favorites, 10-time hurdles winner Greg Foster, comes back at 37 looking to stave off the new guard yet another year. These great champions and others, who between them won a total of 30 medals, including 17 golds, at the 1995 indoor and outdoor World Championships, will begin their road to Atlanta on Friday.

Formation of the Millrose Games
The Millrose Athletic Association was formed as a recreational club by the employees of the John Wanamaker Department Store in New York City in 1908 with the encouragement of Rodman Wanamaker, son of the founder and then head of the store. "Millrose" was the name of Rodman Wanamaker's country home in Pennsylvania and he suggested that it be used as the club's name. The derivation of Mr. Wanamaker's use of the name for his home is not known.

Madison Square Garden
When the crowds overflowed the armory, the Games moved to Madison Square Garden (then located at 26th Street and 4th Avenue) in 1914, subsequently moved to a new Garden in 1928 (50th Street and 8th Avenue) and in 1969 to the current location (Pennsylvania Plaza). The meet is the oldest continuous sports event in MMadison Square Garden. In the 'good old days' of the 30's through the 60's there were five track meets (Millrose, New York Athletic Club (A.C.), A.A.U Championships, IC4A Championships and Knights of Columbus) in the Garden on successive Saturdays, unfortunately only Millrose remains.

The Oldest Invitational Track Meet in the U.S.A.
This year marks the 89th annual Millrose Games. The Games are the oldest invitational track meetin the United States if not the world. During more than two-thirds of Milrose history the meet director has been a father and son - Fred Schmertz (1934-74) and Howard Schmertz (1975 to present). Fred was a charter member of the Millrose Athletic Association and the attorney for the John Wanamaker New York store for 50 years. Howard has also been a New York attorney for more years than he cares to admit.

World Class Athletes and Performances
Countless numbers of Millrose Games star athletes have been Olympians and 102 Millrose winners have been Olympic Champions. 87 world indoor records ahve been set or equalled at the Millrose Games. With the recent proliferation of 200 meter banked artificial surface indoor tracks around the world, a world record on the 145.5 meter Garden track is now less likely than in the past, but there is always a possibility when great athletes get together.

The Star Spangled Banner
It has been said that during World War I the Millrose Games was the first sports event to play the "Star-Spangled Banner," years before it became our National Anthem. This tradition has continued with the singing of the Anthem just before the Wanamaker Mile.

Great Performances
The most prolific Millrose winner is Loren Murchison, great sprinter in the 20's, with 13 victories, followed by pole vaulter Bob Richards with 11, hurdler Greg Foster with 10, hurdler Harrison Dillard and miler Eamonn Coghlan with 9, and 400 meter runner Diane Dixon leads the women with 8.

The Wanamaker Mile
1996 marks the 70th anniversary of the Wanamaker Mile or the 80th if the Wanamaker 1.5 Miles is included. In the early part of this century the most popular middle distance race was the mile and one half and Rodman Wanamaker gave a trophy for this race in 1916. In 1926 the race became the Wanamaker Mile which soon developed into the most famous indoor track event in the world and the feature of the Millrose Games.

Why is the Wanamaker Mile always scheduled for 10 p.m.? In the 1930's the famous sportrs announcer, Ted Husing, had a radio show on CBS at 10 p.m. and would broadcast the race only at that time. The tradition has continued long after Husing became a fond memory.

The introduction of the event, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Wanamaker Mile" was started by announcer Pinky Sober more than 50 years ago and has been repeated annually by his successor, Bob Hersh.

Multiple Winners
In the 70 years of the Wanamaker Mile there have been thirteen multiple winners led by Eamonn Coghlan with seven. Since Tony Waldrop ran the first sub-four minute Wanamaker Mile in 1874, there have been 71 sub-four minute performances by 31 Wanamaker Milers led by Marcus O'Sullivan with ten. We shall consider this an indoor record unless proven otherwise.