New York Athletic Club

Plaque name: New York Athletic Club.

Location: 180 Central Park S, New York, NY 10019, United States.

Plaque awarded: 01/08/2024.

Reason: Plaque Category – Competition.

The New York Athletic Club (NYAC) which was founded in 1868, notably staged the first USA track and field national championships in 1879, and the following two editions in Mott Haven, New York.

The club and its members played a major role in the formation of the rules of the sport of athletics nationally, many of which became the basis for the international competition and technical rules created following the foundation of World Athletics (formerly IAAF) in 1912.

The NYAC’s membership past and present is a veritable “Who’s Who” of athletics greats.

Thomas Burke took two gold medals (the 100m and 400m) at the inaugural Olympic Games of the modern era in Athens in 1896.

Ray Ewry who stands in-between Paavo Nurmi (12 medals) and Carl Lewis (10 medals) as the second most successful Olympian in athletics history with 10 golds, garnered in the standing high jump, long jump and triple jumps in the early 1900’s.

Al Oerter, the four-time discus Olympic champion from 1956 to 1968, is another standout club member, one of only two athletes in history to have won four consecutive Olympic titles in the same event.

While in recent years, female club members have continued the club’s athletics success with Michelle Carter and Valarie Allman, respectively the 2016 shot put and 2020 discus throw Olympic champions.