Hilmer Lodge Facility

The newly renovated, stunning Hilmer Lodge Stadium hosted the welcome return of the Mt. SAC Relays in 2022, after a 7-year hiatus. In addition, the statue of Hilmer Lodge, Mt. SAC Relays founder & the community college’s first Track & Field and Cross Country coach (1948-63), was unveiled.

The stadium was dedicated on October 8, 1948 by local California Congressman and future President, Richard M. Nixon. Built in two years (1947-48) at a cost of $100,000, the stadium in Walnut, California was later named after Hilmer Lodge, who created the Mt. SAC Relays in 1959 and served as the community college’s first Track & Field and Cross Country coach (1948-63). The stadium is home to the Mt. SAC Football, Cross Country and Track & Field teams as well as the Mt. SAC Relays, Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational, Mt. SAC Graduation and a host of other memorable special events.

The stadium has been the site of 21 world records including what is arguably the greatest day in track & field when 7 world records were set in one night on August 12, 1960! The facility has also hosted the 1968 U.S. Women’s Track & Field Olympic Trials as well as the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 1962 (men) and 1979-80 (men & women).

From 2016-19, due to construction on Hilmer Lodge Stadium, the Mt. SAC Relays were held at several sites in Los Angeles. In February 2020, the stadium renovation was completed that transformed the facility into a state-of-the-art venue for football and track & field. The new construction was designed around and did not impact the path of the historic Mt. SAC Cross Country Course.

The new stadium has been painstakingly designed to meet & exceed all of the requirements to host world class track & field and cross country competitions and to provide a world class venue for athletes, coaches and spectators. Some features of the new facility include:

• 9 lane, 400 meter track with Olympic turn radius
• 300 meter warm-up track and facility
• multiple field event facilities within the stadium
• state-of-the-art large video screen and sound system
• 3,000 square foot press box / VIP area
• 7,000 square foot weight facility
• 2,300 square foot athletic training / medical facility
• Heritage Hall – meeting & museum facility
• 110,000 square foot expo / fan areas
• fan / press box ideal sight lines for track & field (unobstructed views of all track lanes & field facilities)
• natural turf main field, artificial turf warm-up facility
• expandable seating (10,739 to approximately 20,000 seats)

• Largest Track & Field competition in the world with more 13,500 athletes competing over 3 weekends and 6 days.
• August 12, 1960 at Hilmer Lodge Stadium will be remembered as one of the greatest days in track & field history when 7 world records were set.
• Twenty-one world records as well as hundreds of U.S. records have been set at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.
• Bill Neider (USA) becomes the first shot putter to break the 20 meter mark (1960) with a toss of 65’10” (20.06m).
• Hal Connolly becomes the first hammer thrower to break the 70m barrier (1960) with a mark of 230’09” (70.33m).
• Site of the 1960 U.S. Women’s Track & Field Olympic Trials
• C.K. Yang (TPE) becomes the first decathlete in history (modern tables) to break the 8,000 point barrier at the 1963 Mt. SAC Relays.
• In 1980, the stadium was the host to the first ever meeting between athletes from the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan.
• Edwin Moses captured his 60th consecutive 400m hurdles race (48.61) at the 1981 Mt. SAC Relays.
• Site of “greatest long jump series in history” when legend Carl Lewis soared over 28 feet in all six of his long jump attempts at the 1987 Mt. SAC Relays.
• The Mt. SAC Relays / Hilmer Lodge Stadium was the first major meet to host an invitational women’s pole vault in 1994 and the first ever to start a women’s vault competition at 13’00” (3.96m) in 1999.