Today we take a moment to remember The Armory Foundation's founder and chief executive, Dr. Norbert Sander, Jr. Sander passed four years ago today and left an enormous impact on the world of track and field. 

Dr. Sander, who ran for Fordham University, was a member of Fordham's team that set a meet record in the 4-mile relay at Penn in 1963. After he graduated from Fordham University, he began his medical training at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Upon returning to New York, he graduated from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx in 1971. His passion for the sport continued beyond his academic career. He became the Director of the Preventive and Sports Medicine Center in Manhattan and ran a family medical practice on City Island in the Bronx. Dr. Sander also carried on in his training and went on to win the 1974 NYC Marathon, becoming the only male athlete from NYC to ever win the event (2:26:30).  

In the 1990s, Dr. Sander raised millions of dollars to renovate The Armory, lobbying various politicians, corporate sponsors, and agencies in the process. Sander's dedication to track and field led him to be a longtime NYRR board member and an enthusiastic Explorer's Club Member. In 2014, he received the Abebe Bikila Award for his "outstanding commitment and contributions to the sport of distance running," and the 2016 City & State Reports Outstanding Achievement in Community Development Award.

We celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Norbert Sander and continue his mission for The Armory as the premier indoor track & field center, to provide educational enrichment programming and promote fitness to youth. Thank you, Dr. Sander, for your contribution to the sport. We miss you dearly.