The Major Taylor Velodrome is an outdoor, concrete

velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, Indiana, U.S., named for 1899 cycling world champion

Major Taylor Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor (November 26, 1878 – June 21, 1932) was an American professional Cycle sport, cyclist. He has been called "the first Black American global sports superstar." He was born and raised in Indianapolis, where he wor ...

. The track with 28 degree banked turns and 9 degree straights. The Velodrome is located immediately north of the Marian University campus and is the home track of the 41-time USA Cycling National Champion Marian University Cycling Team. The velodrome was opened in July 1982 for the U.S. Olympic Festival. It was built at a cost of $2.5 million. It was a facility required to host that year's National Sports Festival, with money coming from a partnership between the Indianapolis Parks and Recreation Department and the

Lilly Endowment Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and among the largest endowments in the United States. It was founded in 1937 by Josiah K. (J. K.) Lilly Sr. and his s ...

. It was the first building built with public money in Indianapolis to be named after an African American. The proposal to name the facility for Taylor came initially from Tom Healy, a writer for the ''

Indianapolis News The ''Indianapolis News'' was an evening newspaper published for 130 years, beginning December 7, 1869, and ending on October 1, 1999. The "Great Hoosier Daily," as it was known, at one time held the largest circulation in the state of Indiana. ...

'', who contacted Taylor's daughter, Sydney Taylor Brown. The two advocated among the city's business community and Mayor William H. Hudnut. It has played host to many national and international competitions, including cycling events of the

1987 Pan American Games The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event held in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, on August 7–23, 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas ...

;

USA Cycling USA Cycling or USAC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. It covers the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, and BMX across all ages and ability levels. ...

's Collegiate Track National Championships in 2003, 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2017; and USA Cycling's Masters Track National Championships in 2005, 2013, and 2016. In May 2011, Marian University took over operations of the velodrome property, known as the Indy Cycloplex, https://indycycloplex.com/ which includes a BMX track, mountain bike trails, cyclocross course, and public green space. In the years following the shift in operation, the facility has focused on promoting youth health and fitness as well as the continuous development of the sport of competitive cycling. Weekly and daily programming takes place on the Velodrome from April through September, including a Thursday night race series, the Major Taylor Racing League.

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External Links

Marshall W. (Major) TaylorBicycling
Sports venues in Indianapolis Velodromes in the United States 1982 establishments in Indiana Sports venues completed in 1982 {{Indiana-sports-venue-stub

See also

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