by Larry EderThe DMR is one of the fun relay events in the indoor season. Run mostly by high school and collegiate teams, the DMR consists of 1200 meters, 400 meters, 800 meters, and then, finishing with a 1,600 meters.
At the newly opened The TRACK, located on the New Balance campus, was the site of this remarkable bit of running. What a fine way to open up The TRACK, the new world class facility on the New Balance campus!
Heather McLean, Elle Purrier St. Pierre, Roisin Willis, Kendall Ellis, photo courtesy of New Balance
New Balance former president Jim Davis had wanted to build a sanctuary to sport on his new campus for more than a decade. The facility is for athletes elite and not so elite. A fast 200-meter track plus movable basketball courts, soccer field, and volleyball courts. New Balance has developed a high-end Footwear Research Lab. Knowing that men and women do not live by sports alone, the facility will host musical entertainment, under the name RoadRunner, hosted by Bowery presents. The world-class athletics facility will also feature a Beer Hall, where fans can enjoy a beverage and observe the facility in action.
New Balance has been planning this for some time. I recall visiting the campus in 2018-2019 and seeing the facility in development.
Heather McLean opens up with a 3:14.92 split for the 1,200 meters, photo by Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
Well, they put the new track to great use tonight, as women’s team featuring Heather MacLean (1200m), Kendall Ellis (400m), Roisin Willis (800m) and Elle Purrier St. Pierre (1,600m), took 6.06 seconds off the world best, by running 10:33.85, besting the old DMR record of 10:39.91.
Kendell Ellis ran leg 2, splitting 52.04 for the 400 meters, photo by Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
The team consisted of three New Balance Boston athletes ( MacLean, Ellis and St. Pierre) and the high school record holder in the 800m (Willis). Heather McLean, the 2022 USATF Indoor Champion at 1,500m lead of, a 1200m leg in 3:14.92 split, then Kendell Ellis ran 400 meters in 52.04. Kendell Ellis is a Olympic gold medalist from 2021 in the 4x400m at the Tokyo Olympics and NCAA champion. On leg three, Roisin Willis, from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, ran a fine 2:03.30 split, followed by 2022 World Indoor silver medalist at 3000m, Elle Purrier St. Pierre, who blistered the 1,600m in 4:23.55. The final time of 10:33.85 broke the old record by 6.06 seconds!
Roisin Willis ran leg three, the 800m in 2:03.30! photo by Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
Running on a brand new track must be a treat, as Elle Purrier St. Pierre ran the final and longest leg, 8 laps on the new 200 meter track, as the assembled U.S. team took six-plus seconds off the world best!
Elle Purrier St. Pierre runs 4:23 split for the 1,600m at The TRACK, April 15, 2022, photo by Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
Now that is how you open a new indoor sports facility.
New Balance has invested in its elite athletes, providing New Balance with world records in the 400-meter hurdles, gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles, 2 golds in the 4×400 meters, plus bronze in the 200 meters and a silver in the 4×100 meters in Tokyo as well. At the U.S. Olympic Trials, New Balance women went 1,2,3 in the women’s 1,500 meters, won the 400-meter hurdles, and won the women’s 200 meters as well. In the recent World Indoors, New Balance took silver in the 3000 meters. With their investment in their women’s team in the US, and in Europe, they also saw gold in the men’s 800 meters at the World Indoors.
