Tickets for the 2013 USA Indoor Track & Field (USATF) Championships, featuring the country’s and some of the world’s top talent, are now on sale. The meet takes place March 1-3 at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

The championships are here for the fourth consecutive year and are expected to attract approximately 400 athletes. It is the final event of the Indoor Championship Series, a prestigious series of nationally televised USA track and field competitions. At stake are a total prize of $130,000, the title of national champion and the opportunity to qualify for Team USA events.

The championships will be broadcast live Saturday, March 2, on Universal Sports and Sunday, March 3, on NBC Sports Network.

	USA Indoor Track & Field Championships March 1-3, Albuquerque Convention Center Tickets: At the UNM Ticket Office, by phone at 505-925-5858 or www.unmtickets.com at the following prices: ⋄  3-day reserved chairback $30 ⋄  2-day reserved chairback $25 n 3-day general admission $25 n 2-day general admission $20 ⋄  Single day chairback $15 n General admission tickets single day pass: $7 Friday, $12 Saturday or Sunday Discounted tickets available for students and seniors.

USATF says 33 medal winners from the 2012 London Olympics have competed in Albuquerque over the past three years, including gold medalists in eight events.

Among those, six athletes earned multiple events in London: Allyson Felix (gold in 200 meters and two relays), Carmelita Jeter (4×100 relay gold, silver in 100 and bronze in 200 meters), Sonya Richards-Ross (gold in the 400 meters and 4×400 relay), DeeDee Trotter (4×400 relay, 400 meter bronze), Will Claye (silver in the triple jump, bronze in the long jump) and Justin Gatlin (silver in the 4×100 relay, bronze in the 100 meters).

The Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates the championships have generated about $1 million in direct spending for the metro area each year Albuquerque has hosted the event.

The city’s state-of-the-art mondo track and its upkeep; the convenient location of the Convention Center and Downtown to hotels and the airport; and the lighting in the Convention Center for TV purposes are among the factors that made Albuquerque an attractive host site.

Albuquerque will also host the 2014 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in February 2014.
Tickets on Sale For USATF MeetEvent Produced Several Olympians

— This article appeared on page D2 of the Albuquerque Journal