National Track and Field Hall of Fame facts for kids

The logo for the National Track and Field Hall of Fame

Award ceremony for the National Track and Field Hall of Fame at the Jesse Owens Award banquet in 2011

The National Track and Field Hall of Fame is a special museum. It celebrates amazing American athletes, coaches, and others who have made a big difference in the sport of track and field. This museum is run by The Armory Foundation, working with USA Track & Field.

You can find the Hall of Fame inside The Armory building in Washington Heights, New York City. Its main goal is to remember and honor the past achievements in track and field. Since 1974, USA Track & Field has been adding new members. Today, there are 254 people honored here!

History of the Hall of Fame

The National Track and Field Hall of Fame first started in Charleston, West Virginia in 1974. In 1985, it moved to Indianapolis and became part of USA Track & Field. This group is in charge of track and field sports in the United States.

The museum in Indianapolis closed in 1996. Its exhibits then traveled to Atlanta for the 1996 Summer Olympics. After that, they were shown in Los Angeles. The exhibits then toured around the country until 2002. That's when The Armory building in New York City became its permanent home.

Some cool things you can see there include the first Nike Waffle Trainers from 1976. You can also see a shirt and shorts worn by famous Hall of Famer Steve Prefontaine.

Who Can Join the Hall of Fame?

The Hall of Fame has different rules for who can be nominated. These rules depend on whether someone is an athlete, a coach, or a contributor.

Athletes

To be considered, an athlete must have competed in major events at least three years ago. They also need to meet one or more of these requirements:

• They held a world record.
• They held an American record.
• They were a world champion.
• They were an Olympic champion.
• They were the best in their event in the world or America for three or more years.
• They won four or more national championships in the USA.
• They had other amazing achievements at a national or international level.

Coaches

Coaches can be nominated if they have been retired from full-time coaching for at least one year. However, if they have coached for 35 years or more, they can still be considered. They must also meet these rules:

• They helped many champions succeed at their coaching level.
• They had an amazing winning record or other great achievements.
• They coached for at least 20 years.

Contributors

A "Contributor" is someone who has helped the sport in special ways. To be nominated, they must have worked for the good of track and field for at least 20 years. They can also be nominated for other outstanding contributions.

How Members Are Chosen

Each February, a special committee starts looking for new nominations. People can suggest names until May 1st. All nominations, including those from past years, are collected by USA Track & Field.

A secret committee then reviews all the names. They choose the best candidates to be voted on. By June 30, a list of 10 to 12 nominees is created. This list includes information about each person.

Near the end of July, the list goes to the voters. These voters include current Hall of Famers, committee members, and sports writers. Each voter gets one vote. All votes must be sent back by August 29. In early September, the new inductees are announced!

Visiting the Museum

Exterior of The Armory Building where the National Track & Field Hall of Fame is located.

The museum is located at The Armory Foundation in Washington Heights, New York. It has three levels for visitors to explore.

On the first level, you'll find the main lobby. There's also the Hall of Fame Theater, which shows a film called "Welcome to The Hall of Fame." You can also see the Hall of Fame History Gallery, where another film about Olympic moments is shown.

The second level has the Hall of Fame Atrium and the Hall of Fame Champion Gallery. There's also the Fred Lebow Marathon Hall, dedicated to marathon running.

The third level holds the main Hall of Fame Gallery. Here, you'll see a 40-foot (about 12-meter) long glass wall. The names of all the Hall of Fame members are carved into it. Through this glass wall, you can see the huge 65,000 square foot (about 6,000 square meter) arena. This arena hosts some of the biggest indoor track events for college and high school athletes in the world!

Hall of Fame Members

The table below lists everyone who has been inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.