USATF Plans Indoor Series; National Exposure Keys Program

Track and field will be hitting the airwaves with a bit more frequency beginning next month. The United States Track and Field Association (USATF) has implemented a new program, called The Golden Spike Tour, aimed at giving American athletes more money and more exposure on television.

Craig Masback, chief executive officer of the USATF, told New York Track Writers organization earlier this month that the USATF has signed several prominent athletes to compete in these meets. The focal point of the program will be an indoor series, which will include a set of four meets. The series will start with the Millrose at Madison Square Garden in New York on Feb. 5, and then include the Los Angeles Invitational on Feb. 13; the Adidas meet on Feb. 19 in Washington, D.C.; and the indoor nationals in Atlanta on Feb. 26-27. "The series was put together to provide American elite athletes with the opportunity to compete before American crowds," Mark Brand, a communications consultant to the USATF, said.

NBC and ESPN will broadcast the events in the Golden Spike Tour on national television. "The goal is to increase our presence as a sport outside of the Olympic year," Brand said. "We continually have the strongest national team at the world championships and Olympics, and these meets plus a series of outdoor meets, that will be announced in the spring, enable us to showcase our athletes."

The meets will focus on a core set of men's and women's events, including the 50 or 60 meter dash and hurdles as well as the men's mile, a women's distance event, the men's pole vault and high jump. "Each city will have additional events. LA will feature a men's shot put while DC will have one of the hottest men's 800 meter fields in the world," Brand said. "Our meets will be presented in a fan friendly environment that brings the fans close to the competition."

While track and field is one of the most popular sports, rating-wise, during the Olympics, the sport seems to fade off the horizon during non-Olympic years. "We believe that the media coverage will improve as more and more meets are held in the US and fan appreciation for the athletes continues to grow," Brand said.

The outdoor series will include six meets during May and June, including the national championships.

Masback also told the New York writers group that the USATF recently signed two new sponsors, one to support its elite programs and one to aid its youth development. Masback indicated that more sponsor announcements will be made in the near future.

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