Courtesy: USATF

USA Track & Field's 2002 Indoor Golden Spike Tour will swing from the East Coast to the Heartland before culminating at the 2002 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in New York City.

The Tour, announced recently by USA Track & Field (USATF), begins January 27 with the adidas Boston Indoor Games at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. It continues February 1 at the Verizon Millrose Games at New York's Madison Square Garden, and on February 9 moves to the adidas Midwest Track Classic in Lincoln, Nebraska. Many of the United States' top international stars, to be announced in coming weeks, are expected to compete in the Golden Spike Tour.

The final stop returns the Tour to New York for the 2002 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, held March 1-2 at the Armory Track & Field Center at 168th Street. The Championships were first held in New York in 1888, resuming in 1906 and held primarily in New York from 1906 to 1993, most recently at Madison Square Garden. The Championships were held in Atlanta from 1994-2001.

"This year's Golden Spike Tour is being held in some of the top track and field venues in the nation," said USATF CEO Craig Masback. "With last year's Golden Spike Tour being our best ever, we expect to build on that success. To bring it all together in New York City, which has become our second home, is the perfect way to finish the Tour."

The Golden Spike Tour puts athletes and track fans in a "New York State of Mind," as USATF reinforces its strong presence in New York City, the indoor track capital of the country. The National Track & Field Hall of Fame will reopen in the Armory in 2003, while the 2001 USA Men's and Women's Marathon Championships were held last November at the New York City Marathon.

Now in its fourth year, the Golden Spike Tour provides America's best athletes the opportunity to compete in the United States and earn substantial prize money in front of a nationally televised audience. Live crowds at Golden Spike Tour meets typically have averaged more than 10,000 fans, with TV ratings rising as much as 25 percent in 2001 for individual broadcasts.

The 2002 Golden Spike Tour will be broadcast nationally on ESPN and ESPN2, with the adidas Boston Indoor Games (Feb. 2) and Verizon Millrose Games (Feb. 3) being broadcast the first weekend in February, the adidas Midwest Track Classic airing Feb. 10 and the USA Indoor Championships airing March 3. In addition, Fox Sports NY will air live coverage of the Verizon Millrose Games in New York City on February 1.

Sponsors of the 2002 Indoor Golden Spike Tour are Verizon, Visa and SoBe Sports System.

For more information on USA Track & Field and the Golden Spike Tour, including ticket information, visit the USATF Web site, www.usatf.org.

2002 Indoor Golden Spike Tour Event Schedule
Date   Event
Jan. 27   adidas Boston Indoor Games (Boston)
Feb. 1    Verizon Millrose Games (New York)
Feb. 9    adidas Midwest Track Classic (Lincoln, Neb.)
March 1-2 USA Indoor Championships (New York)

2002 Indoor Golden Spike Tour TV Schedule
(All times Eastern; check local listings)

Event                        Network     Time             Date

adidas Boston Indoor Games   ESPN2       3-4 p.m.         Feb. 2
Verizon Millrose Games       FOX Spts NY 8-10 p.m. (LIVE) Feb. 1
                             ESPN        4:30-6 p.m.      Feb. 3
adidas Midwest Track Classic ESPN2       4-5 p.m.         Feb. 10
USA Indoor Championships     ESPN        4-5:30 p.m.      March 3