by Alfonz Juck
Left to right : Armory Foundation President (1993-2017) and 1974 NYC Marathon winner Dr. Norbert Sander Jr., Armory Foundation Chairman of the Board Mike Frankfurt and 1970 NYC Marathon winner Gary Muhrcke. Photo Courtesy of The Armory.
Mike Frankfurt is one of those guys who you see at most events, always a smile, and you know that this guys loves the sport. Truth is, Mike has used his talents to help build the amazing sanctuary of sport that is the Armory. It is fantastic that he is getting some long deseved recognition.
Mike Frankfurt to Receive The Armory Presidents’ Award During 113th NYRR Millrose Games
NEW YORK, January 8, 2020 – Armory Foundation Co-Presidents Rita Finkel and Jonathan Schindel proudly announce that long-time Armory Board Chair and supporter Michael P. Frankfurt will receive The Armory Presidents’ Award, recognized for unparalleled contributions to both The Armory and to the sport of track & field.
Frankfurt will be recognized during the 113th NYRR Millrose Games on Saturday, February 8th at The Armory’s New Balance Track & Field Center.
Last year, United States Track & Field CEO Max Siegel and COO Renee Washington received The Armory’s Presidents’ Award.
“We are delighted to be awarding Mike this award for all he has contributed to The Armory in the last 25 years,” said Armory Foundation Co-President Rita Finkel. “As Chairman of the Board, Mike has been unwavering in his support for the work we do, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars through the years along with sharing his calm, good humor and steady wisdom.”
In the early 1990s, Frankfurt worked alongside his long-time friend and running partner Dr. Norbert Sander Jr. The two were true visionaries, and against all odds they transformed the dilapidated Armory in Washington Heights into a world-class facility and now the world’s busiest indoor track & field facility. Dr. Sander was the first President of The Armory Foundation until his passing in March of 2017.
“I was fortunate when Norb Sander asked me to partner with him to bring The Armory back for our track and field kids,” Frankfurt said. “We did it together. Thank you, Norb.”
Today, The Armory is home to more than 100 track & field meets during the indoor season including the NYRR Millrose Games, the most prestigious indoor track meet in the world. Other track meets at The Armory include the New Balance Nationals Indoor, the de facto national high school championships and many track meets for youngsters, high school, college, pro and adult athletes.
In addition to all that happens on the fabled Armory track, as Chairman of the Board of the Armory Foundation, Frankfurt oversaw the expansion and stellar success of the Armory College Prep program.For the past three years 100 percent of the high school seniors in the unscreened Armory College Prep program were accepted into four-year colleges, with grants and academic scholarships to make a college degree a reality. Today, The Armory’s after-school educational programs for children from underserved communities begin at 5th grade.
Back on the track, The Armory operates CityTrack, Little Feet and Tiny Feet – free after-school youth programs that benefit middle-school and elementary-school aged children from Washington Heights, Inwood and Harlem – and is home to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.
“The Armory welcomes hundreds of thousands of visits year after year from young student-athletes who relish the opportunity to run, jump and throw on such a historic and welcoming track,” Armory Foundation Co-President Jonathan Schindel said. “None of this would have been possible without Mike Frankfurt’s intellect and determination. Mike has asked that we celebrate by asking for donations to the Norbert Sander Legacy Fund, which will ensure that the beautiful facility that Norbert Sander and Michael Frankfurt created will be enjoyed by generations of young athletes and students in the future.”
Frankfurt is a senior partner and founding partner of New York’s Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, one of the pre-eminent media and entertainment law firms in the United States. He is a life-long advocate of running and track & field and is currently Chairman of the Armory Foundation’s Board of Directors, Director and Secretary of the New York Road Runners’ Board of Directors, Director of the Hunter College Foundation, member of the Hunter College Athletes Hall of Fame, Chairman of The Creative Coalition, and member of both the USATF Hall of Fame Committee and Millrose Athletic Association.
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About The Armory Foundation
The Armory Foundation is a New York City non-profit institution, with the mission of “Keeping Kids on Track.” Each season The Armory – the proud home of the NYRR Millrose Games – hosts more than 100 track & field meets and welcomes more than 220,000 athlete visits. Among its many youth sports and educational programs, including the acclaimed Armory College Prep program, The Armory runs the leading collegiate indoor track meet with the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge, and also hosts the largest high school indoor track meets with this year’s 26th U. S. Air Force Hispanic Games, The New Balance Games, the New Balance Nationals Indoors, the EnergIce Coaches Hall of Fame, Marine Corp Holiday Classic and the Colgate Games. The Armory also runs the Columbia & NewYork – Presbyterian Indoor Marathon presented by New York Road Runners, which is the world’s largest indoor marathon relay. The Armory is also the home to the National Track & Field Hall of Fame and dozens of very large education-focused events. For more: Please visit Armory.NYC and ArmoryTra
