Dr. Norbert Sander, Founder of Armory Track Foundation, passes at age 74

by Steve Underwood


The NSAF was very shocked and saddened to learn Friday morning of the passing of Dr. Norbert Sander, the president, CEO and founder of the Armory Foundation, at the age of 74.  Through Dr. Sander’s work and leadership, the foundation revitalized The Armory to accommodate more than 100 events annually, serving over 125,000 athletes and 500,000 visitors every year, noted a USATF Press Release.  Of course that includes this past weekend’s New Balance Nationals Indoor -- which was celebrating its seventh year at The Armory and drew more than 3,600 athletes from 44 states and beyond the U.S. -- as well as the New York Road Runners Club Millrose Games and scores of other events at all levels.

Full USATF Press Release

“He was the driving force of what the Armory has become,” said our NSAF executive director, Jim Spier. “He took an early 20th Century building with a splintery wooden flat track and transformed it into a state of the art track and field facility.  He was a true visionary and will be missed.

“The Armory was his passion and it was hard to separate the building from his being,” he added.  “The transformation would not have happened without him as the driving force.”

Photo by John Nepolitan, Runnerspace.com/DyeStat.com

 

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