TrackTown NYC?

 I just saw a very interesting article about the USATF Outdoor Track Championships and the fact that Icahn Stadium in New York City will be the host. That's right. A major national/international (track) meet is being held ... and it is NOT in TrackTown USA (Eugene, Oregon). This is a huge development!

Icahn Stadium is a fantastic -- if oddly located -- track venue. It is on Randalls Island, sitting underneath the Triboro Bridge and floating between the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. It is technically part of Manhattan. It's not easy to get to, but it is worth the trip. 

This article quotes Lauren Primerano extensively. Lauren is a Manhattan College track alum and she runs the show at Ocean Breeze. She is a mover and a shaker in the NYC track scene, and she deserves a lot of credit for getting the USATF meet here in the metropolitan area, just days after Giants Stadium in New Jersey (I know it's technically called "Met Life Stadium" but it'll always be Giants Stadium to me!) hosted the World Cup final on Sunday.

So for a few days anyway, NYC (or, at least, a small part of it) becomes TrackTown USA!  

(yet) another alumni wedding = congrats to Christine Coughlin!

 

Here is an alumni picture from Thursday's wedding in Glens Falls/Queensbury. Congrats to Christine Coughlin (now Brown!) - beautiful night for a beautiful couple (Christine and Willie are not pictured here, just her Forever Fox Faithful). Neat.

Wait what! No Vanny? (here's the XC schedule)

 Our cross country schedule is (mostly) set and a Very Alert and Loyal Alum pointed that for the quite possibly first time in the 64-year program history (other than the Fall of Covid 2020) there will be no meets on the schedule at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Say it ain't so!

Well ... welcome to the New World Order of cross country, which actually isn't All That New. Courses tend to be more flat, more loopy and less hilly. Thus ... (the original layout of) Vanny has been consigned to the scrap heap of the past. Oh sure, there are still a few meets on the original course (most notably, the Iona Meet of Champions). But for the most part ... not. 

There was a time when the majority of the team's meets were at Vanny: Iona MOC, Mets, IC4A/ECAC, Conference, and sometimes NCAA Northeast Regionals. Now? NO.

Here's our 2026 XC schedule

Friday, September 4: Marist Season Opener at Vassar Farm (new this year: early evening start on Friday). Also new? No senior day! That will be in April 2027 on our TRACK

Saturday, September 19: Jasper Fall XC meet at Blue Sky Sports Complex in Middletown, NY (Orange County, close to Twin Ponds venue of the past few years). Note: This is a new venue, which will also host the Metro Conference (formerly the MAAC) Championships on Halloween. 

Friday, October 2: Paul Short Run at Lehigh

Saturday, October 10: Metropolitan Championships, venue TBA. Note: There is a CHANCE that this meet (which currently has no venue) could be held at Van Cortlandt, thus continuing the "streak" ... there is also a chance that we may not even race at this meet! Stay tuned ...

Saturday, October 17: IC4A/ECAC Championships at Bethpage State Park, Long Island. Also the site of the NCAA Northeast Regional meet

Saturday, October 31: Metro Conference (aka MAAC) Championships at Blue Sky in Middletown, NY (Orange County, close to Twin Ponds venue of the past few years)

Friday, November 13: NCAA Northeast Regional at Bethpage

That's it for now...

Victory Lap 2.0: Saturday, September 26

 As a (quick) follow-up to previous post! It is CONFIRMED that the Victory Lap 2.0 will be on Saturday, September 26, with a late-afternoon start time. 

There will be a (Marist) football game that day, with a 12 noon o'clock start, so they want us to start our festivities after the game is over and parking/campus is a little less congested. Of course! You are always welcome to come early and support the Red Foxes' football team before our track celebration.

Based on (the very limited) feedback from alums: We will have an Alumni/Open Mile and we will have children's races. Other thoughts/options are welcome - let me know via email (Peter.Colaizzo@marist.edu) or text (845 309 3640).

One other concept: We will like to welcome back (and honor) all previous (and current) school record holders! So if you still hold (or you used to hold) a school record on the track, come back and be recognized for your greatness!

We would like to thank (in advance, pun intended) our Advancement Office for their help and support with this event. They noted that last year's Victory Lap had the biggest attendance (in terms of sheer numbers) of any such alumni event. They also noted that we (meaning ME) should not expect as big of a turnout for 2.0. So, here's a challenge: Prove them wrong! Come back, and bring friends!

Hope you have a good Holiday Weekend.