New York, February 18, 2016—The 2016 NYRR Millrose Games will highlight the year-round partnership between The Armory Foundation, which oversees the premier indoor track and field center in America, and New York Road Runners, the world’s premier community running organization. The prestigious track and field event will take place on Saturday, February 20, at the world’s fastest track, at the New Balance Track and Field Center at The Armory. For the first time, the event will feature the NYRR Young Runners 800 Meter Finals, comprising the fastest NYRR elementary and middle school runners from New York City’s five boroughs.. The event will culminate with the world’s best milers, including both defending champions, competing in the iconic NYRR Wanamaker Mile.

NYRR has been title sponsor of the NYRR Millrose Games since 2014, and has recruited and hosted the NYRR Wanamaker Mile fields since 2012. The NYRR Millrose Games is the ultimate embodiment of the partnership between New York Road Runners and The Armory, featuring New York City’s youngest runners side by side with some of the world's top athletes.

“The NYRR Millrose Games truly epitomizes the year-round community partnership between NYRR and The Armory,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. “We feel privileged to showcase a very talented group of athletes of all ages, from our young runners competing in the inaugural NYRR Young Runners Boys and Girls 800 Meter Finals, to the world’s best milers. It will be an inspiring and memorable event.”

New to the NYRR Millrose Games, is the NYRR Young Runners 800 Meters Boys and Girls Finals featuring twenty-two of the fastest NYRR Young Runners in New York City. The 11 girls and 11 boys qualified for the finals by besting more than 3,000 other participants from 130 sites who take part in the NYRR Young Runners programs across New York City’s five boroughs.. The trials for the event took place at The Armory this past December and the YMCA Brooklyn Armory in January. NYRR Young Runners is a free distance-running program where kids learn to run distances up to four miles while training together as a team. The program is offered to all New York City public schools and is also available for free to youth clubs and before- and after-school programs in underserved communities. More than 3,300 students in more than 100 schools throughout New York City’s five boroughs participate.

Scheduled for 2:37 p.m. and 4:46 p.m., respectively, the girls and boys finals will be integrated with the professional athlete races at the NYRR Millrose Games, with the famed NYRR Wanamaker Miles taking place later that afternoon. Following the release is a listing of the participants in the NYRR Young Runners 800 Meters Boys and Girls Finals.

NYRR is also supporting youth runners in the NYRR 4x200 and the NYRR Fastest Kid on the Block events. Both races will feature inspiring youth runners who participate in NYRR’s free youth running programs, and youth runners from New York City’s five boroughs and beyond. This year’s NYRR Fastest Kids on the Block event will feature Ireland’s fastest 8-year-olds, Cait O’Reilly, of Cavan’s Annalee AC, and Darragh Fahy, of Loughrea, Co. Galway.

Through year-round programming on and off the track, the Armory enables kids and adults of all ages to lead healthy and active lifestyles, aligning with NYRR’s mission to “Run for Life.” NYRR has a long-standing partnership with the Armory Foundation and sponsors events year-round at the Armory in support of the 100,000 kids it serves annually.

NYRR is involved in many events and programming that The Armory offers throughout the year, including sponsoring the NYRR Grand Prix High School Series and NYRR Night at the Races, supporting the Armory College Prep Program and hosting and presenting numerous elementary, middle school, high school, and collegiate running events such as the NYRR Youth Jamborees Presented by Tata Consultancy Services, the Armory Middle School Invitational, and the Armory Collegiate Invitational.

The NYRR Wanamaker Mile at the 109th NYRR Millrose Games will feature a riveting rematch between defending champion Matthew Centrowitz, of Portland OR, and 2015 runner-up and the fastest miler in the field, Nick Willis, of New Zealand. Centrowitz and Willis ran the two fastest indoor miles in the world last year in the NYRR Wanamaker Mile, Centrowitz breaking the tape just a step ahead of Willis. Shannon Rowbury, of Portland, OR, will attempt to defend her title as key American and international rivals chase the now 1500-meter American record holder for the crown.

“The 2016 NYRR Millrose Games is shaping up to be one of the great days of the track and field season,” said Peter Ciaccia, president of events of New York Road Runners and the race director of the TCS New York City Marathon. “With the world’s top athletes taking center stage in the world’s greatest city, we’re looking forward to a memorable day.  We’re excited to host another outstanding field in the historic NYRR Wanamaker Mile, and look forward to supporting all of our athletes, from U.S. Olympic hopefuls to the fastest kids in the city.”

The women’s and men’s NYRR Wanamaker Mile will start at 5:24 p.m. and 5:50 p.m., respectively.

The NYRR Millrose Games, part of the USATF Championship Series, will be presented live on NBCSN from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST, featuring the NYRR Wanamaker Miles, and more. Fans can also catch the excitement on the live webcast from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST on USATF.tv.

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NYRR Young Runners 800 Meters Girls Final
Rosie Coats, PS 107K/John W Kimball, Brooklyn
Stella Teeter, PS 126M/Jacob August Riis, Manhattan
Karess Pringle-Wishner, PS 009K/Teunis G Bergen, Brooklyn
Valiese Thomas, PS 093X, Bronx
Bella Stenhouse, PS 107K/John W Kimball, Brooklyn
Nailah Delgado, PS 40Q, Queens
Madison Voyd, PS 114X/Luis Llorens Torres, Bronx
NaNa Samake, MS 598K/Marketing and Legal Studies, Brooklyn
Sonja Asmundsson, PS 107K/John W Kimball, Brooklyn
Ruby Tiburcio, PS 452M, Manhattan
Tamia Flowers, MS 245M/The Computer School, Manhattan

NYRR Young Runners 800 Meters Boys Final
Kymoy Phillips, PS 009K/Teunis G Bergen, Brooklyn
Matthew Perkins, PS 107K/John W Kimball, Brooklyn
Colin O'Shea, MS 234K/Arthur W Cunningham, Brooklyn
David Jimenz, PS 691X/Bronx Little School, Bronx
Dubar Smalls, PS 021K/Crispus Attucks, Brooklyn
Jonah Reisner, PS 107K/John W Kimball, Brooklyn
Henry Kurzawa, PS 107K/John W Kimball, Brooklyn
Zachary Ruback, PS 452M, Manhattan
Jesaiah Delgado, PS 40Q, Queens
Eli Garcia, PS 452M, Manhattan
Gideon McAdams, PS 150M, Manhattan

About the NYRR Millrose Games

With a storied history that spans more than a century, the NYRR Millrose Games is one of track and field’s most prestigious and enduring annual events. A New York City sports staple, the meet moved to the New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory in Washington Heights in 2012 after having called Madison Square Garden home from 1914 to 2011. The Games—established by employees of Wanamaker’s Department Store—feature track and field’s most prolific male and female stars as well as collegiate, high school, club and youth competitors. More than 200 athletes share the distinction of being both Millrose and Olympic champions. In November of 2013, New York Road Runners became the title sponsor of the NYRR Millrose Games, which is hosted by the Armory Foundation.