Empire Elite: Journal

ENTRY 1: OLYMPIC YEAR

FEBRUARY 28, 2024

WORDS BY INMA ZANOGUERA AND BEN MORROW

PHOTO BY JOHNNY ZHANG

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will take place this summer, but the Empire Elite Track Club has been fixated on this moment since its founding. In 2021, Empire Elite emerged from the unwinding of the NJNY Track Club and quickly proved they would carry the mantle as New York City’s professional track team at the US Olympic Trials. Dressed in black, the team punched above its weight with strong finishes in the Men’s 1500m (8th, Colby Alexander), Women’s 1500m (8th, Dani Argon) and Men’s 3000m Steeplechase (5th, Isaak Updike). Three years later, the team roster has grown with hopes to represent the US, Egypt, and Trinidad and Tobago in the upcoming Olympics.

Empire Elite is New York City’s professional track team. From the Millrose Games to the Brooklyn Mile, the New York City running community knows the team in black. Often leading the pack is team member Eric Holt, who has relentlessly attacked races and excited spectators since the team's founding when he began a streak of breakout finishes. The momentum has not slowed since for Eric or the team. This indoor season, the club has notched nearly a dozen PBs, two world standards and the third fastest all-time US indoor 1000m, creating the platform and momentum for the important outdoor season ahead.

The last opportunity to watch Empire Elite this indoor season will be the Trial of Miles meet taking place this Saturday (3/2) at the Armory in New York City's Washington Heights neighborhood. The full race calendar for the team is located on the Empire Elite page.

Regular reports on the team will be posted on this page and Instagram up through the US Olympic Trials. You can also follow the club Instagram and team member Ben Allen’s behind-the-scenes YouTube channel.