This Indoor Track & Field Meet was held for four years at the old Stampede Corral. It was co-sponsored from 1968 to 1971 by the Calgary Booster Club, The Royal Canadian Legion, and the Calgary Track & Field Club. The Booster Club provided volunteers, along with officials from Alberta Track & Field. Doug Kyle, the 1969 Sportsperson of the Year, served as an organizer and co-Meet Director.
An engineer from Vancouver, B.C., Ron Davies, designed and copyrighted the track, which was built to fit inside a standard NHL hockey rink. The track measured 160 yards in length, with eleven laps equaling one mile. It featured four lanes around the main track, a 60-yard straightaway with eight lanes, and included high jump, long jump, and pole vault pits. The wooden track was purchased by the Royal Canadian Legion and shipped to Calgary for the inaugural meet.
The one-day event was held on a Saturday in January from 7-11pm and included competitions for junior high, senior high, and invitational athletes from across North America. Many of these athletes were Olympic competitors and national champions.
First-Year Highlights (1968)
- The 50-yard sprint featured Harry Jerome (Canada) and Willie Turner (USA). Jerome was the world record holder in the 100-yard and 100-metre events, a bronze medalist in the 100 metres at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, and a gold medalist in the 100 metres at the 1966 British Empire Games. Turner was the USA 100-metre champion and a two-time Olympian.
- Bill Crothers (Canada) faced Martin McGrady (USA) in the 600-metre event. Crothers was the Canadian record holder in both the 600 and 800 metres and won silver in the 800 metres at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. McGrady was the world record holder in the 600 metres.
- Abby Hoffman competed as the Canadian and world record holder in the 880-yard event.
- Diane Jones, the Canadian high jump champion, later became Diane Jones Konihowski. She was also Canada’s top pentathlete and would go on to win gold at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton.
In total, the first indoor meet featured 700 competitors and was a major success, drawing a sold-out crowd.
Second-Year Highlights (1969)
- Bob Beamon (USA) was scheduled to compete in the long jump. Beamon won gold at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, where he shattered Jesse Owens’ long jump record from the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. His jump of 29 feet, 2¼ inches was nearly two feet farther than the previous record and was called the greatest feat in modern times by Sports Illustrated. Unfortunately, Beamon failed to appear, disappointing the large crowd that had come to see him.
- Lee Evans (USA), a double gold medalist at the 1968 Olympics in the 400 metres and the 4 x 100 metre relay.
- Reynaldo Brown (USA), an Olympian and USA champion in the high jump.
- Ronnie Ray Smith (USA), gold medalist in the 4 x 100 metre relay at the 1968 Olympic Games.
Third-Year Highlights (1970)
- Debbie Brill (Canada), the Canadian record holder in the high jump. She adopted Dick Fosbury’s flop technique—used to win gold at the 1968 Olympics—and developed her own style known as the “Brill Bend.”
- Barbara Farrell (USA), an Olympian in the 100 and 200 metres at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and a gold medalist in the 4 x 100 metre relay.
- Wilf Wedmann (Canada), Canadian champion and record holder in the high jump, who later designed a high jump shoe for Adidas that became very popular.
- Alan Kane (Canada), Canadian champion and record holder in the pole vault.
Fourth-Year Highlights (1971)
- Thelma Fynn (Canada), Canadian champion and record holder in the 800 metres.
- Debbie Brill (Canada), Canadian champion in the high jump.
- Randy Makolosky (Canada), 400-metre junior champion and record holder in the 800 metres.
- Chuck LaBenz (USA), a sub-four-minute miler.
- Willie Turner (USA), 100- and 200-metre champion and Olympian.
- Barbara Farrell (USA), Olympian and gold medalist in the 4 x 100 metre relay at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
- Greg Smithey (USA), Big Sky Collegiate champion in the pole vault.
Four-Year Summary
Each year, the Calgary International Stampede Games featured more than 700 athletes from Canada and the United States. The meet successfully promoted track and field in Calgary and gave local fans the opportunity to watch many of the sport’s top competitors, including Canadian and American champions and Olympians.
After four years, the co-sponsors collectively agreed to end the Calgary Stampede Indoor Games for two primary reasons:
- With the exception of the first two years, the meet lost money due to the high cost of bringing invitational athletes to Calgary, including accommodation and transportation expenses.
- The failure of high-profile athletes to accept invitations and then fail to appear became a major issue. Attendance declined in the final two years as spectators were frustrated by heavily advertised champions and Olympians who cancelled at the last minute or failed to show up at all.
Following the conclusion of the event, the wooden track was sent to Saskatoon, where it was used for the Knights of Columbus Indoor Championships held annually between Christmas and New Year’s.
Lawrence King
Booster Club Historian
