centralparktc.org

What is Central Park Track Club?

Central Park Track Club is a New York City running and track club built around coached group workouts, with most sessions meeting in or near Central Park and at Icahn Stadium or Riverbank. Its page lists practices across track, cross country, road running and sprinting, led by named coaches, plus morning and evening options for people whose schedules differ.

What the club actually offers

• Coached training sessions several days a week, including Tuesday and Thursday evening track sessions, early Tuesday and Thursday morning runs, Friday and Saturday morning runs, and Central Park evening road sessions.
• Separate coaching contacts for different disciplines: Devon Martin for track, cross country and roads; Derrick Adkins for sprinters; Roberta Groner for road-focused groups.
• A competitive identity: the club cites nine USA Track and Field Club National Championships, 12 Olympians, 16 World Championships qualifiers, more than 90 Olympic Trials and National Championships qualifiers, and American records in the indoor marathon and indoor 4×200 relay.
• Club news and events, including an annual benefit and speaker events, plus an official apparel provider.

Who it suits

It is best for runners who want structure, a coach and a team environment rather than a loose meetup group. The range of sessions means a road runner training for a marathon, a track athlete working on speed, and a sprinter can each find a relevant group. Beginners should read the schedule carefully: the listed practices are specific in time and location, and some are early morning, so the main trade-off is commitment to a fixed weekly rhythm rather than drop-in flexibility.

How to decide

Start by matching your event and availability to one coach, then email that coach directly before attending. For example, a road runner who can only train before work would look at the Tuesday 6:00am or Thursday 5:50am Central Park Morning Crew sessions, while someone targeting track workouts would look at the Tuesday and Thursday 6:30pm sessions. If you want a broader sense of the New York running scene while comparing options, look at New York Road Runners for races and USA Track & Field for the championship structure the club competes in.

How can I join Central Park Track Club?

Central Park Track Club (CPTC) is a competitive New York City running and track club, and the practical route to joining is to contact a coach directly and attend a workout. The club's public information points to specific practice times and coach emails rather than a simple online signup form.

How to start

1. Pick the workout that matches your event and schedule. The club lists sessions at Icahn Stadium or Riverbank on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm (track, cross country and road, Coach Devon Martin), sprint sessions with Coach Derrick Adkins, and several road-focused groups with Coach Roberta Groner: Central Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:45pm, Fridays at 7:00am and Saturdays at 7:00am, plus a Central Park Morning Crew on Tuesdays at 6:00am and Thursdays at 5:50am.
2. Email the relevant coach before showing up. The club provides coach emails in its training update, which is the clearest first contact point. Say which group you are interested in and ask whether you can visit a session.
3. Expect a trial period rather than instant membership. Many competitive clubs ask prospective members to attend a few workouts before joining, so treat the first sessions as a chance for both sides to assess fit.

What to know before you commit

CPTC describes itself with performance markers: nine-time USA Track and Field Club National Champions, 12 Olympians, 16 World Championships qualifiers, and more than 90 Olympic Trials and National Championships qualifiers. That signals a serious training environment, so it suits runners who already train consistently and want structured coaching and team competition. If you are looking for a casual social run club, the intensity and schedule may be more than you want.

For comparison, other New York clubs with public membership information include New York Road Runners and New York City Met Blazers. Checking their membership pages alongside CPTC's coach contacts can help you judge which club's training times and competitive level fit your goals.

A useful next step

Email the coach for your event with a short note: your recent race times or training paces, your target races, and which listed session you can attend. That gives the coach enough to tell you whether to come to a specific practice and what the membership process involves.

What are the training schedules and locations for Central Park Track Club?

Central Park Track Club runs coached group workouts at several Manhattan locations, with the track and road groups meeting at different times and places. From the club's own page:

What this means in practice

The schedule splits by event group and by time of day, so the first decision is which coach and session fits your training. Sprinters have their own coach and meet alongside the track/XC/road group, while distance runners choose between Central Park road sessions and the stadium-based track work. The early-morning Central Park slots suit runners fitting training around a workday; the 6:45pm sessions are the main after-work option.

Next step

Email the coach for the session you want before attending, since the track sessions list two possible venues (Icahn Stadium or Riverbank) and the exact meeting point may vary week to week. The club lists these contacts: Devon Martin ([email protected]), Derrick Adkins ([email protected]) and Roberta Groner ([email protected]). You can also check the club site at Central Park Track Club for updates, and its Instagram profile is referenced there for current training posts.

Who are the coaches at Central Park Track Club and how can I contact them?

Central Park Track Club lists its coaches alongside specific training sessions rather than in a single directory, so the fastest way to reach the right person is to pick the session that matches your event and location, then use that coach's email. From the club's published training update:

| Session | Days & times | Location | Coach | Contact | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Track, cross country & road | Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:30pm | Icahn Stadium or Riverbank | Devon Martin | [email protected] | | Sprinters | Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:30pm | Icahn Stadium or Riverbank | Derrick Adkins | [email protected] | | Roads – morning crew | Tuesdays 6:00am & Thursdays 5:50am | Central Park | Roberta Groner | [email protected] | | Roads | Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:45pm | Central Park | Roberta Groner | [email protected] | | Track, cross country & road | Fridays, 7:00am | Central Park | Devon Martin | [email protected] | | Roads | Saturdays, 7:00am | Central Park | Roberta Groner | [email protected] |

How to choose who to email

• Sprinters should go straight to Derrick Adkins; the other sessions are distance-oriented.
• Distance runners on the track or doing cross country fit Devon Martin's sessions, which also cover road racing.
• Road runners who prefer early mornings or weekends are better served by Roberta Groner, who leads both the pre-dawn Central Park crew and the Saturday morning run.

A practical first step

Email the coach for the session you can actually attend, and include your event focus, current weekly mileage or training background, and recent race times. That gives the coach enough to tell you whether the session suits you before you show up. If you are unsure between two sessions, ask about attending one as a trial rather than committing to a full season.

The club also notes that its training schedule is posted separately, and its broader record includes nine USA Track & Field club national titles, 12 Olympians and more than 90 Olympic Trials and national championships qualifiers — useful context if you are weighing how competitive a given session may be. For general background before you write, the club's own site is Central Park Track Club.

What are the membership fees and benefits of joining Central Park Track Club?

Central Park Track Club (CPTC) does not publish its membership fees on the page provided. The site shows training logistics, coaching contacts, and competitive results, but no dues amounts, tiered pricing, or payment links. To get the actual fee, the reliable next step is to use the club's contact channels or attend a practice and ask a coach directly.

What the page does show

The visible value of joining is structured, coach-led training across multiple disciplines and locations, plus a competitive track record.

• Coached sessions by specialty: Track, cross country, and road under Coach Devon Martin; sprinters under Coach Derrick Adkins; roads under Coach Roberta Groner.
• Varied times and places: Icahn Stadium or Riverbank on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm; Central Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:45pm; Friday and Saturday mornings at 7:00am; a "Morning Crew" on Tuesdays at 6:00am and Thursdays at 5:50am.
• Competitive credibility: 9-time USA Track and Field Club National Champions, 12 Olympians, 16 World Championships qualifiers, 90+ Olympic Trials and National Championships qualifiers, 10 qualifiers for the 2020 and 2024 US Olympic Trials Marathon, and an American Record in the Indoor Marathon (2017–2018).
• Club culture: Benefit events, including a 2025 speaker event with Connor Mantz and an event honoring Don Landry.
• Apparel: Official apparel is supplied by a partner brand, which members may be expected or able to purchase.

How to decide whether it fits

Fees aside, the practical question is whether the schedule matches your life. If you can make Tuesday/Thursday evenings or early mornings, CPTC offers something many clubs do not: event-specific coaching and a deep competitive pipeline. If your availability is irregular, the fixed sessions may be a poor fit regardless of price.

A concrete scenario: a road runner targeting a spring marathon could use Roberta Groner's Tuesday/Thursday 6:45pm Central Park sessions for workouts, then Saturday 7:00am for long runs. A sprinter would instead go to Icahn or Riverbank on Tuesday/Thursday at 6:30pm with Derrick Adkins. Those are different tracks within one club, so confirm which group matches your event before committing.

For comparison, other New York-area clubs such as New York Road Runners and New York City-based running groups publish their own membership structures; checking two or three gives you a sense of typical dues and what they include.

Before you ask about fees

Come with specific questions: Is there a trial period? Are dues monthly or annual? Do they cover track access at Icahn or Riverbank, or is that separate? Is there a discount for students or a volunteer requirement? The page lists coach emails, so a short message to the coach for your discipline is the fastest route to an accurate number.

How do I order Central Park Track Club apparel?

Central Park Track Club apparel is supplied through a designated official apparel partner rather than sold directly from the club's own site. The club page lists an "Official Apparel Supplied By" section, which is the route to the current team gear. Because that section is where the ordering link lives, check it first for the active store and any ordering windows.

What to expect

• Team apparel stores for running clubs typically open for a limited period, then close and go into production.
• You usually choose sizes and items during the open window; late orders may not be accepted.
• Some items may be available only in bulk or after a minimum order is met.
• Club singlets and uniforms may have competition-specific requirements, so confirm with a coach before ordering if you plan to race in it.

Practical next step

Open Central Park Track Club and look for the "Official Apparel Supplied By" section on the page. Follow the supplier link from there. If you are a member and the store is closed or you cannot find the link, contact one of the coaches listed on the club's training schedule page — for example, the road coach for general gear questions or your event coach for uniform requirements.

Decision criterion

If you need gear for a specific race, order as soon as the store opens and allow for production and shipping time. If you only want casual club gear, waiting for the next ordering window is usually fine.