The project reinforces the Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s long-standing commitment to hosting elite competitions and maintaining sustainable, world-class facilities. The venue is slated for World Athletics Class I certification—one of only four outdoor venues in the United States to have that certification—which will make it eligible to host top-tier international events.
“We’ve worked with Mondo since Icahn opened 20 years ago, so selecting them again was a no-brainer,” said Louis Vazquez, director of operations of Icahn Stadium. “The stadium has seen some record-setting performances, and we look forward to setting new records on this upgraded surface.”
Known for its balanced combination of shock absorption, vertical deformation, and energy return, the vulcanized rubber Super X 720 surface is designed to support peak athletic performance.
Since replacing Downing Stadium in 2005, Icahn has hosted more than 200,000 athletes and over 60 meets annually. Past events have included Reebok and adidas Grand Prix meets, NCAA regionals, Big East championships, and national competitions, such as the USATF National Youth Outdoor Championships and Junior Olympics, and last year’s inaugural Athlos 2024—a pioneering all-female track and field showcase featuring world-class athletes.
Two world records were also set on Icahn’s Mondo track: Meseret Defar in the women’s 5,000m (2006) and Usain Bolt’s electrifying 9.72-second sprint in the men’s 100m (2008), which still ranks third on the World Athletics men’s 100m record progression.
The first event expected to take place on the new Mondo Super X 720 track is Athlos 2025 in October, with renowned athletes such as Gabby Thomas, Tara Davis-Woodhall, and Masai Russell, who are expected to compete.