A track in the Rose Bowl?

Believe it or not, there was once a track and field meet held at the Rose Bowl.  Unfortunately, it was only for a limited engagement.

While watching the annual Rose Bowl game on TV it may be hard to imagine a track inside.  In 1966 a six-lane Grasstex Track (rubber tire shavings and asphalt mix) was installed inside the Rose Bowl for what was hoped to be an annual Rose Bowl Invitational. The track was unique in that it was short of 400 yards (exact distance not confirmed) -made to fit inside the built-for-football stadium. That made race stategy and most of the relay exchange zones particularly confusing for the runners.
     The 1967 Rose Bowl Invitational was the last meet held in the bowl.  There were more athletes competing than spectators watching the two invitationals held in early June. Two Pasadena Games featuring high school competitions were held there. The track was removed before the 1968 Rose Bowl game.
   The three parties responsible for the installation of the track dedicated to the youth of Pasadena were the City of Pasadena, the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Pasadena, and the Pasadena Athletic Association. The latter had a club track and field team including several Olympians.
-Pasadena Invitational program, 1967; conversations with former community college runners from that era.

                   Ted Corbitt

Distance running pioneer, Ted Corbitt, recently passed away.  His impact on the sport was extraordinary.

Hold this man in reverence for his contributions to running … Ted Corbitt, a pioneer of American distance running, died in late December (1919-2007). The New York Times called him “the patron saint of the ultramarathon in America.” The experiences he endured along the way are hard for today’s runners and coaches to fathom. His story tells of the evolution of the marathon in America and of the plight of being an African –American distance runner in that era.
   In 1950 and at age 30 this physical therapist and former college 400-meter runner wanted to run competitively, but he had no coach, no plan or direction. Using progression and resistance he learned from his mistakes.
  At the time it was rare for more than four marathons to be held annually in America.
At the time it took three marathons to qualify for the 1952 Olympic team. With only a Boston Marathon as his experience he went on to make the Olympic team that year. 

· He wore heavy boots on long runs working up to five hours on his 30-mile runs. When he upped his training mileage levels he improved and went on to uncommon results.

· For some reason, noon starting times for the marathon, in the heat of the day, were common.  He ran one in 29 degree cold, another in 102 degree mid-day heat, and competed in a race where officials stopped the race short of the finish area due to snow causing “unsure footing.” 

· The second qualifying Olympic Trial marathon in ’52 was memorable as they did not stop traffic, began at noon, and finished the last mile on a car race track(!).

· As an African-American he was occasionally not allowed to compete in meets in the South and Midwest. He was stopped over 200 times by police who were not used to seeing a black man running through the streets of New York.

· He ran 199 marathons or ultramarathons; he helped begin the New York City Marathon and designed the first course; he founded the Road Runners Club of America and the New York Road Runners Club; he organized and ran in the first ultramarathon, a 30-mile course through New York City and its suburbs; and the calibrated measuring wheel used to calculate running courses was developed with his help.
-LA Times Obituary, December 18, 2007; Ted Corbitt by John Chodes, TAFNEWS books, 1974