Times photographer William Sauro artistically captures schoolboys sprinting in a 440-yard race during a track and field competition in upper Manhattan on Feb. 24, 1968. The event was held at the old 102nd Engineers Armory, whose track would be used for decades by tens of thousands of the finest runners on the East Coast and sometimes the world.
The cavernous Armory, located on 168th Street, was built in 1909 to house military vehicles and other heavy equipment. Within five years it was home to athletic events with a flat wooden track, 11 laps to a mile. But by the time this photo was taken in 1968, the Armory was a dimly lit, crumbling building, infamous for its smells, its deafening noise during events and a badly splintered track that would shred the legs of runners who fell.
The dilapidated Armory closed in 1985 was used as a shelter for homeless men. But then came a rebirth. It reopened in 1993, renovated and restored to its former glory days, this time with beautiful steel beams, light pouring in from high windows and a banked track with a modern surface. Today, the Armory Track and Field Center is an international mecca, playing host each year to more than 150,000 athletes and 100 competitions, including the prestigious Milrose Games.
This made-to-order image is printed on giclée archival photo paper and is available framed or unframed. Framed photography comes ready to hang with a removable wire attached to the back. Choose from a lightweight ayous wood or a gold or silver metal frame to customize the frame best suited to your space. The print comes from The New York Times’s extensive archives, known as the “morgue,” which houses more than five million photographic prints that date back to 1905. It is available exclusively from The Times Store.
