Five years ago, the world of track and field was riveted to the nearby Ocean Breeze Indoor T&F facility as the USATF Indoor National Championships featured America’s best athletes vying for national titles in front of thousands of fans and millions more on television and elsewhere.
The three-day event, which featured elite events and drama and resulted in the setting of both national and world records, drew Olympians from the past and future to Staten Island!
Now, with even more on the line, the drama and completions are happening here once more.
The top American athletes, including some of the gold medalists from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, will compete here from Friday, February 21 to Sunday, February 23. Their aim is to not only win a national title but also earn a spot in the World Indoor Championships, which will take place in Nanjing, China, in late March.
The two-day event will once again be broadcast on NBC.
Fans flocked to the Ocean Breeze facility in 2019 to watch the USATF Indoor Championships.Sports Desk Advance
According to Ocean Breeze Parks Administrator Lauren Primerano, NYC Parks is excited that USATF will be hosting the 2025 and 2026 National Indoor Championships on Staten Island.
As the top athletes in the nation join us and compete for a berth to represent Team USA at the Indoor World Championships, we hope to maintain the momentum of competitive excellence following an extremely successful and remarkable Olympic Games.
Since its inception in 2015, Ocean Breeze has established itself as one of the fastest indoor track facilities in the world. Over the course of the decade, it has hosted track and field competitions at all levels, from regional to global competitions.
According to Primerano, the secret is collaborating with partner groups like Global Athletics and the Ocean Breeze Park Alliance to make sure that we are fostering an environment where athletes can compete at their best and spectators can join in on the fun. These two essential components have been the center of our planning.
Primerano stated that Ocean Breeze will also host the 2026 Indoor Championships. “This year, the goals are to build upon the momentum gained in Paris, sell out the venue both days of competition, and see a positive spike in TV ratings, which will lead to even more visibility for the 2026 Championships,” Primerano said.
Newly elected USATF President Curt Clausen said, “It’s great that the USA Indoor T&F Championships are coming back to Staten Island and New York City, which is the birthplace of indoor track & field and the USA indoor championships.” He pointed out that America’s first indoor meet was held at the New York Athletic Club in 1868, and the first Indoor National Championships were held in NYC in 1906.
Clausen, a former Olympic racewalker, said the USATF is lucky to have the Ocean Breeze world-class facilities and meet management staff host the meet.
In addition to being a top-notch facility, Ocean Breeze serves as a catalyst for giving thousands of athletes, ranging from beginners to pros, the chance to compete and help the younger generation become tomorrow’s stars.
As our athletes compete for a chance to represent the USA at the World Indoors Champs, the indoor championships should be an incredible showcase for them, especially after Team USA’s historic win at the Olympics in Paris.
Naturally, there is still no resolution to the question of who will compete because athletes in the middle of their indoor track season must assess their level of training and competition as they approach the end of February.
Team New Balance Boston coach and 1996 Olympian Mark Coogan concurred.
Before deciding on the remaining indoor events, we will conduct the NB Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on February 2. However, Heather MacLean, an Olympian in the 1500 meters in 2020, will undoubtedly do it!
At the local 2021 New Balance Gran Prix at the Ocean Breeze Indoor Track Facility, Noah Lyles makes a young fan extremely happy. For the USATF Indoor Championships, the Olympic champion may also be making a comeback to Ocean Breeze.SIRA
Athletes who have previously participated at Ocean Breeze, such as Olympic gold medalists Noah Lyles, Katie Moon, Ryan Crouser, Cole Hocker, Sydney McLaughlin, and Sha Carri Richardson, are among the potential competitors.
Top athletes Elle Purrier St. Pierre, Emma Coburn, Yared Nuguse, Hobbs Kessler, Ajee Wilson, and Bryce Hoppel are among potential candidates to toe the line.
Olympic Gold Medalists Katie Moon (Pole Vault), Ryan Crouser (Shot Put), and Vashti Cunningham (High Jump) are among the athletes who might return to Ocean Breeze to compete, according to Advance Sports Desk.
Commitments will be made as the date approaches, but local fans will still witness amazing performances and drama.
“We hope that the local running and track and field community will travel to Ocean Breeze over the weekend of February 22–23 to watch the action live and support the top track and field program in the world,” Primerano added.
BELL LAP: According to Primerano, the event’s acting local organizing committee is the Ocean Breeze Park Alliance, a community non-profit group founded to promote Ocean Breeze Park. Involving local companies and leveraging the economic impact that events like the USATF Indoor National Championships have on Staten Island are the goals. Through USATF, we are also actively seeking volunteers who adhere to the three-step SafeSport protocol. From the Running Association of Staten Island: SIRA is pleased to announce that we will be providing a limited quantity of free tickets for area young track and field participants to attend the 2025 USATF Indoor Championships at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex. Only Staten Island child T&F athletes in the eighth grade and under are eligible to purchase tickets, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Jeff Benjamin can be contacted by the coaches of the individual Staten Island clubs at [email protected]. For more information and to buy tickets, visit https://www.usatf.org/tickets.
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