by Larry Eder
The 2017 TrackTown Summer series is a three event series in the summer of 2017 (June and July) that brings elite track to Portland, Palo Alto and New York. The events will provide many of our top elite athletes a chance to run, jump and throw in the US during the summer, after the USATF Outdoors, which, well just about does not happen in the US.
We salute TrackTown USA on supporting this project and encourage all track fans to check it out!
To learn more about the TrackTown series, please go here: https://www.gotracktownusa.
To learn about the very cool 5k, where you can run with the elite in NYC, go to: https://www.gotracktownusa.
We really like the concept and how TrackTown is making this series a reality.
< TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES HOME
Q: WHAT IS THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES?
A: The new U.S. circuit of professional track and field meets made its highly acclaimed debut at Hayward Field last July with 140 athletes, split evenly between men and women, taking part in a scored competition between teams representing Portland, San Francisco, New York City and Philadelphia. The athletes competed for prize money and additional benefits in excess of a half-million dollars. Representatives from each team used an athlete draft and free agency to construct their team’s roster. The 2017 TrackTown Summer Series has expanded to three competitions – two West Coast meets in San Francisco and Portland and a Championship meet in New York City – with the intention of adding more venues in upcoming seasons.
The TrackTown Summer Series is designed to provide top American track and field athletes with fun and innovative competitive opportunities on U.S. soil, with the ultimate goal of making those athletes household names by the time the 2021 IAAF World Championships arrive.
Q: WHEN AND WHERE WILL THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES BE HELD?
A:
June 29 – San Francisco (Stanford University)
July 2 – Portland (Mt. Hood Community College)
July 6 – New York City (Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island)
The first West Coast meet will be held at Cobb Track and Angell Field on the Stanford University campus. The second West Coast meet will be held at Mt. Hood Community College, located just outside the vibrant city of Portland. Each of those meets will include all four teams and will benefit each team’s standing going into the Championship meet at Icahn Stadium in New York City. The championship meet will feature 20 events, including a 5K road race which the public will be invited to join, and a mixed 4x400m relay – with two females and two males on each squad – to bring the meet to a climactic close. Read more about the dates and locations of the meets HERE.
Q: WHAT EVENTS WILL BE HELD AS PART OF THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES?
A: The tentative list of contested events is as follows:
The competition schedule for all meets will be finalized soon. Stay tuned for more information.
Q: WHAT TEAMS WILL COMPETE AT THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES?
A: There are four teams in the TrackTown Summer Series with 36 athletes, split evenly between men and women, on each roster. The teams represent the cities of Portland, San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York City.
Q: WHICH ATHLETES WILL COMPETE IN THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES?
A: Complete rosters for each team will be filled in three stages:
- Contract Extensions – will be offered to select athletes who competed in 2016
- Draft – will be open to all athletes who did not compete in the 2016 TrackTown Summer Series
- Free Agency – rosters will be filled through free agency, which will consist of athletes who don’t get selected in the 2017 draft, and to all athletes who competed in the 2016 TrackTown Summer Series but were not offered a contract extension.
Athletes with college eligibility remaining are not permitted to enter the draft and will not be able to compete in the Summer Series until they have exhausted their college eligibility.
Q: WHEN IS THE DRAFT FOR THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES?
A: The five-round draft will begin promptly at 4 p.m. (Pacific) on May 19 and will take place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR!
The 2017 TrackTown Summer Series athlete draft will be streamed in real time on Facebook Live on May 19! Make sure you Like our Facebook Page and enable notifications so you don’t miss out on watching the Draft!
Q: WHERE CAN I BUY TICKETS FOR THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES?
A: Tickets are now available for the New York Championship meet! For more information, click HERE.
General Admission – $20
Reserved Tickets – $40
Premier Reserved with VIP Hospitality – $100
Stay tuned for more ticket information on the West Coast meets. Sign up for the TrackTown USA Email List to be the first to hear updates.
Q: WHERE CAN I WATCH THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES?
A: The meet in New York City will be broadcast live on July 6 from 9-11 p.m. (Eastern) on ESPN. The West Coast meets will be available digitally. Stay tuned for details.
Q: WHO IS ORGANIZING THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES? HOW IS IT BEING FUNDED?
A: TrackTown USA is organizing all three meets, and there will be an additional Local Organizing Committee at each venue. The chief financial investors for the TrackTown Summer Series were announced HERE.
Q: WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR ME TO VOLUNTEER AT THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES?
A: We are currently looking for volunteers for each of the three meets. If you are interested in volunteering, please send an email to [email protected].
Q: HOW DO I ENTER THE 5K ROAD RACE AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP MEET?
A: Registration for the 5K Road Race is now open!
There will be a men’s and women’s 5K road race prior to the championship meet on Randall’s Island in New York City. The public will be invited to run in the road race and finish on the track as part of the meet. Click HERE for more information or click below to register now.
Q: HOW DOES SCORING WORK IN THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES?
A: Last year, we used the following scoring format: 9-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 for all individual events and 18-14-12-10 for relays. We will confirm the scoring format after the schedule is finalized.
Q: WHO WON THE TRACKTOWN SUMMER SERIES LAST YEAR?
A: Team San Francisco was the champion of the inaugural 2016 TrackTown Summer Series. Click HERE for a complete recap.
Q: I AM AN ATHLETE AND WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION.
A: Professional athletes who are interested in participating in the TrackTown Summer Series should have your agent enter you by emailing [email protected]. Athletes who do not have representation can register for the TrackTown Summer Series HERE. If you are an athlete and have a specific question for our team, please send an email to [email protected].
