Whittier Field facts for kids
Hubbard Grandstand, at Whittier Field
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| Location | Brunswick, Maine, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 43°54′29.25″N 69°57′18.37″W / 43.9081250°N 69.9551028°W |
| Owner | Bowdoin College |
| Operator | Bowdoin College |
| Capacity | 9,000 |
| Opened | October 1896 (field) June 1904 (grandstand) |
Whittier Field is a famous sports stadium at Bowdoin College. It is located in Brunswick, Maine. This field is used for Bowdoin football games and outdoor track and field events. It also hosts the Maine Distance Festival. The entire Whittier Field Athletic Complex became a historic place in June 2017.
History of Whittier Field
This sports field was designed by Frank N. Whittier. He was a former student and professor at Bowdoin College. The field opened on October 3, 1896. The very first event was a football game. Bowdoin played against Maine State College. Frank Whittier also helped design other sports buildings. These included the Sargent Gymnasium and the Hyde Athletic Building.
Hubbard Grandstand Details
The Hubbard Grandstand is a large seating area. It was designed and built in 1903. The original grandstands are 122 feet long. They are also 37 feet wide. They can seat almost 600 people. The Grandstand was officially opened on June 22, 1904. The total seating capacity for the entire field is 9,000 people. It was built in a special style called the Shingle Style.
Jack Magee Track
The running track around the field was built in 1970. It was named after Bowdoin coach Jack Magee. He retired in 1955. This track has six lanes. It is an all-weather track, meaning it can be used in different conditions. It was updated in the summer of 2005. This renovation was made possible by a grant from the Nike company.
Olympic Connections
The Magee Track has a cool Olympic history. In 1972, it was used as an Olympic Training Camp. American Olympic athletes came to Bowdoin for the summer. They trained here before the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. One famous athlete who trained here was Steve Prefontaine.
The track was also the home training spot for Joan Benoit Samuelson. She graduated from Bowdoin in 1981. Joan won the gold medal in the marathon at the 1984 Olympics.
