Personally I hate Icahn stadium but any reluctance over the venue is counterbalanced by the fact that its in NEW YORK!!! This is so awesome. Heres to hoping they can get a big crowd into the stands in a non-championship year.
I've raced at Icahn a few times. It's a nice stadium. Weird location though. There are no businesses in the area and there's a sewage plant nearby so it often smells like poop. But as a New Yorker, I'm excited to go to my first USATF outdoor championships!
If anyone cares: Icahn is located on Randall’s and Ward’s Islands. It used to be two separate islands, but they filled in the land between them to make it one big island, often just called Randall’s (I’ve never heard anyone call it Ward’s Island). The island(s) sits at the confluence of two rivers: the Harlem River to the west, and the East River to the, well, east. At the southern tip of the island, the Harlem flows into the East River (which strictly speaking is not a river at all but rather a tidal estuary between the Long Island Sound and the Upper New York Bay). Along the north coast of Randall’s Island you will find the Bronx Kill, which is basically just a stream. In some spots it’s so narrow the long jump champion could probably clear it, right into the Bronx. The cool thing about Randall’s Island is it’s located between 3 out of the 5 NYC boroughs (Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx), and is fittingly home to the Triborough Bridge, which is really an entire complex of connected bridges and ramps that facilitates traffic across the island between those three boroughs.
Another fun fact is that the Hell Gate Bridge spans the East River between Randall’s Island and Queens. It is a rail-only bridge originally built by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and owned and operated today by Amtrak. If you take a train between New England and Penn Station, keep an eye out because it is beautiful and probably the most underrated bridge in the whole city. It was also so crucial to national railroads that in World War II, the Nazis sent a team of spies in a U-boat to Long Island to blow up the bridge, but they were caught almost immediately and most of them were imprisoned or executed.
I hope everyone enjoys the USATF Champs in NYC and takes some time to enjoy the city, not only the usual tourist haunts but also the fascinating history, geography and architecture right outside the stadium!
This post was edited 4 minutes after it was posted.
If anyone cares: Icahn is located on Randall’s and Ward’s Islands. It used to be two separate islands, but they filled in the land between them to make it one big island, often just called Randall’s (I’ve never heard anyone call it Ward’s Island). The island(s) sits at the confluence of two rivers: the Harlem River to the west, and the East River to the, well, east. At the southern tip of the island, the Harlem flows into the East River (which strictly speaking is not a river at all but rather a tidal estuary between the Long Island Sound and the Upper New York Bay). Along the north coast of Randall’s Island you will find the Bronx Kill, which is basically just a stream. In some spots it’s so narrow the long jump champion could probably clear it, right into the Bronx. The cool thing about Randall’s Island is it’s located between 3 out of the 5 NYC boroughs (Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx), and is fittingly home to the Triborough Bridge, which is really an entire complex of connected bridges and ramps that facilitates traffic across the island between those three boroughs.
Great info. However, the Triborough Bridge is now called the Robert F. Kennedy bridge. (bummer).
Will be worth taking a few days off from work to attend.
With all the great places in the east coast to hold this meet, such as Franklin Field, they chose Icahn Stadium! Give me a break! No parking, very limited seating, in the middle of nowhere, ..... This is exactly why our beautiful sport does not grow here in the USA. I can name 20+ track stadiums in the east coast that would be a much better place to hold this meet.
With all the great places in the east coast to hold this meet, such as Franklin Field, they chose Icahn Stadium! Give me a break! No parking, very limited seating, in the middle of nowhere, ..... This is exactly why our beautiful sport does not grow here in the USA. I can name 20+ track stadiums in the east coast that would be a much better place to hold this meet.
You claim 20. Please name 10.
We'll allow Franklin Field, despite it's first 4 lanes being in the infield of any normal track.
Parking and seats are not issues for a USA champs in a non-olympic non-worlds year. If it was the OTs it'd be a different story.
If anyone cares: Icahn is located on Randall’s and Ward’s Islands. It used to be two separate islands, but they filled in the land between them to make it one big island, often just called Randall’s (I’ve never heard anyone call it Ward’s Island). The island(s) sits at the confluence of two rivers: the Harlem River to the west, and the East River to the, well, east. At the southern tip of the island, the Harlem flows into the East River (which strictly speaking is not a river at all but rather a tidal estuary between the Long Island Sound and the Upper New York Bay). Along the north coast of Randall’s Island you will find the Bronx Kill, which is basically just a stream. In some spots it’s so narrow the long jump champion could probably clear it, right into the Bronx. The cool thing about Randall’s Island is it’s located between 3 out of the 5 NYC boroughs (Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx), and is fittingly home to the Triborough Bridge, which is really an entire complex of connected bridges and ramps that facilitates traffic across the island between those three boroughs.
Another fun fact is that the Hell Gate Bridge spans the East River between Randall’s Island and Queens. It is a rail-only bridge originally built by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and owned and operated today by Amtrak. If you take a train between New England and Penn Station, keep an eye out because it is beautiful and probably the most underrated bridge in the whole city. It was also so crucial to national railroads that in World War II, the Nazis sent a team of spies in a U-boat to Long Island to blow up the bridge, but they were caught almost immediately and most of them were imprisoned or executed.
I hope everyone enjoys the USATF Champs in NYC and takes some time to enjoy the city, not only the usual tourist haunts but also the fascinating history, geography and architecture right outside the stadium!
I love Eugene and even Des Moines but I can't wait to be able to attend USAs without going to either.
This will be the least attended USA Champs, for both fans and athletes in many, many years due to the location and there not being Worlds or Olympics.
Not enough parking, traffic nightmares, bridge tolls, rude Uber drivers, outrageous rental car prices, aggressive homeless unlike Eugene's chill homeless, astronomical hotel prices, enough smog to choke a horse.
Let the finding out begin.
True. Im going to pass mostly because the best wont be there. Not required for the Ultimate Championships. I'll stick with NCAA, PRE and World U-20 and get to see 3 meets with better quality and depth at a better price.
I am happy for another part of the country. It should be spread around. I just can't justify spending time or $$$ on such a low quality meet. I would attend the OT anywhere including Icahn but it would not be a better experience by far than Hayward Field, that's a fact. Even Des Moines is better than Icahn but that's my opinion.