EUGENE, Ore. – TrackTown USA announced today that four of track and field’s most celebrated athletes have signed on as General Managers of the four teams set to compete in the expanded TrackTown Summer Series this season.
The newly hired General Managers are Allyson Felix, Bernard Lagat, Sanya Richards-Ross and Nick Symmonds. As a group, they bring widespread public recognition and global star power to each of the franchises in the 2017 TrackTown Summer Series – New York, Portland, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Felix, a six-time Olympic gold medalist, will serve as General Manager for New York City, the site of this year’s Championship meet on July 6. Lagat, a five-time Olympian, assumes the reins in Portland; Richards-Ross, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, takes over in Philadelphia; and Symmonds, a six-time U.S. 800-meter champion, will be in charge in San Francisco.
“THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING GREAT AND I FEEL BLESSED TO BE A PART OF IT.”
– SANYA RICHARDS-ROSS
“I’m so excited to be a part of the 2017 TrackTown Summer Series,” said Richards-Ross, who retired from competition last year. “I couldn’t be happier for our athletes to have more opportunities to compete, especially on U.S. soil. This is just the beginning of something great and I feel blessed to be a part of it.”
She is not alone in her sentiment. “I am confident that the future of track & field is extremely bright,” said Felix. “That’s why I wanted to sign on as a General Manager in the TrackTown Summer Series – to continue to work toward shining a spotlight on our sport and our athletes.”
“I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE FUTURE OF TRACK & FIELD IS EXTREMELY BRIGHT.”
– ALLYSON FELIX
Besides being the public voice of each team, the four General Managers will be tasked with helping finalize team rosters for the 2017 TrackTown Summer Series. Working in conjunction with the TrackTown Summer Series investors, those duties will include contributing to and announcing athlete draft selections, and advising on free agent signees and which athletes from last year will be offered one-year contract extensions.
“I love the concept of team competitions to give our domestic athletes a chance to showcase their talents right here in the U.S.,” Lagat said. “Team USA has the best team in the world and it’s through opportunities like the TrackTown Summer Series that we can truly grow our sport. The teams will be comprised of world-class athletes and I hope I can help guide them to top performances and give our fans some great events to watch.”
“I LOVE THE CONCEPT OF TEAM COMPETITIONS TO GIVE OUR DOMESTIC ATHLETES A CHANCE TO SHOWCASE THEIR TALENTS.”
– BERNARD LAGAT
After a highly acclaimed debut at Hayward Field last summer, the 2017 TrackTown Summer Series returns with three meets and a renewed commitment to provide top American track and field athletes with opportunities to compete in the U.S. during the summer months. The official dates and venues for the 2017 TrackTown Summer Series are as follows:
– SAN FRANCISCO: JUNE 29 AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY
– PORTLAND: JULY 2 AT MOUNT HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
– NEW YORK: JULY 6 AT ICAHN STADIUM
“I have argued for over a decade that professional runners need more domestic opportunities to compete,” Symmonds said. “It is no surprise that TrackTown USA is the entity that finally got it done. Vin Lananna and his team have done a wonderful job hosting events in Eugene and I have no doubt that their execution of this year’s Summer Series will be a resounding success.”
“I HAVE ARGUED FOR OVER A DECADE THAT PROFESSIONAL RUNNERS NEED MORE DOMESTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPETE.”
– NICK SYMMONDS
