Santa Monica Track Club

Santa Monica Track Club (SMTC) is one of the most competitive track clubs in the United States, and possibly the most successful in the world. This has been particularly evident at the Olympics and World Championships.

The Club’s dedication to its athletes has yielded 27 medals, including 19 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze. Twenty-seven Club athletes have qualified for the Olympics in 53 different events. Also, the Club has won 18 world championships, set or tied 37 world records and 60 American records.

The Club’s alumni include such luminaries as Carl Lewis, Leroy Burrell, Danny Everett, Steve Lewis, Kevin Young, Johnny Gray, Jenny Spangler, Carol Lewis, Joe DeLoach and Mike Marsh. None of these great athletes would have achieved their goals without the support from the Club and Foundation in their developing years.

In an interview, Prince Mumba, an Olympian said, “The reason I came to Los Angeles in 2008 was because I knew that Santa Monica Track Club was an excellent club and I always wanted to train as a part of it.”

SMTC was founded in 1972 by Joe Douglas, who still serves as the Club’s President and head coach, with the mission to help track and field athletes achieve their best. The Club has also created programs for youth and community athletes.

“I want to support those who love to run, that’s all,” says Douglas, who has spent more than 40 years of his career in this field. “In my opinion, athletes have to be focused and disciplined in order to be successful. I just help them do that, and we do it as a team.”

While the Club’s mission is to train and guidance track and field athletes and road running athletes of all levels, the focus has remained on developing post-collegiate athletes seeking to represent the United States in the Olympics and World Championships.