On the ground at On Track Nights

Words by Katherine Turner

It had been a long time since I’d joined a track meet in California, but as I stepped out of the airport terminal into the night, I felt the same thrill of excitement I experienced the first time. The heavy warmth of the air felt comforting even as unseasonable rain started to fall lightly. I looked up at the palm trees lining the road – reminding me, as they did all those years ago, that I was a long way from home.

I was heading to Mt. Sac, a stadium with a rich history. The first Mt. Sac Relays were held in 1959 when a young Bill Dellinger ran the 2-mile in 8:48.2. It was declared a roaring success by Track and Field News. By 1985, the Mt. Sac Relays had become the largest meet in the world. An incredible 9000 competitors would take to the track over 6 days and 50 hours of competition. And the fast times kept coming – in 2000, Bernard Lagat ran a 3:54.97 mile and last year, Raevyn Rogers won the 800m in 1:58.77.

There are numerous threads on the famous Let’s Run message boards claiming that X or Y track in California must be short because people are running so fast. Crazy fast. Chris Solinsky’s American 10,000m record of 26:59.60 was set on Stanford’s track in 2001. Maybe there’s a magic to Californian track – it’s possible to do the impossible here.

But, while the history of spectacular distance running in California runs strong and deep, I was in town to watch something new. LA is the first stop of the inaugural On Track Nights series – a five-part race series that will crisscross the world from LA to London, from Paris to Vienna to Melbourne. Because, while times are faster than ever, crowds have been dwindling. 

The sport’s crown jewel, the Olympics, still draws as many fans as ever, but it was disquieting to see empty seats in the stadium at last year’s World Championships – the second-biggest event in the track and field calendar. It’s clear something needs to change: On Track Nights is on a mission to be that change. Almost exclusively focused on distance running, it promises to mix world-class track action with spectator friendly additions like food trucks, community races and, at the LA meet, even a mid-meet concert. I was excited to see what it was all about.

I got to the track early in the hope of catching some of the pros before they transform into something otherworldly and majestic, as professional athletes seem to do. I wanted to catch them as humans, going through the same processes every runner who races is familiar with – catching up with competitors that have become friends, calming the pre-race nerves, jogging gently to remind the body that there’s work to be done. But by the time I arrived, there was already a fizzle of pre-race electricity inside the Hilmer Lodge stadium. 

Before the elite racing kicked off, there was a short-loop community crew race on the schedule. The atmosphere was buzzing. The crowd lined the start and finish chute with cowbells and flags. I watched as runners barreled across the line before collapsing into the grass. It wasn’t the beautiful, flowing effort I’d see later from the professionals, but in some ways it was equally magical. It was raw and wild – and fun. It was the effort of those who have found found their limit and then continued past it because they haven’t learned to be afraid. It was pure racing.

Afterwards, the competitors milled around in groups, sharing their experiences with their teammates. Laughing, commiserating, luxuriating in the post-race exhaustion. They grabbed food from the ensemble of food trucks and beers from the beer garden before settling into the stands. They’d tasted exactly what the elites were about to taste and now they could sit back and enjoy the meet.

Track has a reputation for being kind of stuffy and slow. It’s all officious officials, excessively long waits between bursts of action and polite applause. This was the opposite. Once the meet got going, the races rolled in so quickly, it was almost hard to keep up. The track lit up with pace lights as the runners circled and cannons of water vapor erupted in the home straight as athletes battled to the line.

It was immediately apparent who the stars of the show were. The On Athletics Club, best known as the OAC, have been building a reputation as America’s number one distance-running team. They’re known for being quirky and fun off the track, but on it, they’re fierce competitors. And the fans love them. George Beamish (pictured below) is one of the group’s stars – an affable and shy New Zealander who could pass for a member of a boy band, until you see him run that is, and it’s immediately clear that running is his calling. He bounces effortlessly off the ground with a long, flowy stride that eats up the track. 

Giant posters of George’s face lined the railing of the stands as he toed the line in the 3000m steeplechase – it was only his second attempt at the event but he made his mark, pipping the reigning US steeplechase champion on the line. Post-race he signed posters and shook hands to the delight of the fans. But the OAC were only just getting started. They swept the top spot on the podium in the next three events in commanding fashion.

First, Yared Nuguse (pictured below left) — America’s most promising miler – made a late surge to win the 800m. “The goose is loose!” announced fans on Twitter. Next up, Sage Hurta (pictured below right) beat a strong field in the metric mile – normally an 800m runner she joked post-race that the 1500m feels long. And finally, Josette Norris Andrews, closed out the night for the OAC with a stunning 14:43 over 5000m, a truly world-class performance.

Post-race, Josette (pictured below) was mobbed by fans. Highschoolers surrounded her asking for autographs and photos. One fan excitedly showed me all the signatures he’d gathered exclaiming that he’d had, “the best day ever”. Unlike other sports where the professionals may as well live on another planet, so separated they are from the fans, On Track Nights is not just bringing fans closer to athletes, but bringing long-standing fans together with new faces – on Saturday night a traditional track fan wearing a t-shirt from the 1992 Olympic Trials was sitting shoulder to shoulder with a huddle of runners from the heart of LA’s run scene, who bring swag and fun to the sport. A high schooler was perched next to a legendary coach. The stands were a riot of runners, all enjoying track together. 

As I watched the athletes embrace it all – the fans, the fireworks and the food – I couldn’t help but think back to my own experience racing in California. At the time, I was running track and cross country for Butler University having left behind my life in England and entered the jaws of NCAA running – a cutthroat and demanding environment. My race was nothing to write home about – I’d been sick in the leadup and was happy to walk away having not embarrassed myself. Mostly, I just remember how seriously I took it all, and felt I had to take it. I loved track, but I only allowed myself to be happy when I ran well, and not because I got to do this beautiful thing I loved and share it with friends. 

Watching On Track Nights I was reminded of an essential lesson: that the beauty of this sport comes from the doing, the effort, the willingness to dig deep for something that’s both so simple and so complicated.

What I witnessed at On Track Nights was a new model for track. One that creates space for athletes to be fast — and have fun. For fans to enjoy a festival-like atmosphere and enjoy world-class performances. As the OAC did their rounds of poster signings and cooldown laps, the concert kicked off. Fans and athletes alike swayed to the music, those whose legs were still in working order danced, the rest of the crowd waved their hands in a rippling, rhythmic wave. It might seem strange to have a music concert during a track meet but it made perfect sense. In a sport like running that is rarely glamorous, that demands a constant commitment to hard work, it felt right to celebrate racing with a party. Whether fast or slow, disappointed or elated, we were all part of something special that evening and it felt worthy of celebration.

As the meet came to a close, I lingered at the track watching the athletes finish their final laps, say their goodbyes and disappear into the night. Racing transforms us. There’s a levity that comes with a hard run. There are smiles, laughter, a camaraderie of effort that, no matter the outcome, makes us lighter. Sometimes we forget that this is why we all run and On Track Nights was the perfect reminder.