The Greater Roxbury Track Club (GRTC) whose seeds were planted at the Roxbury Track Club Reunion 2003, aims to continue the tradition of promoting and further enhancing the physical and mental well-being of our youth.  Our mission is to provide activities that enable them to release their energy in a positive and constructive manner, while emphasizing discipline, commitment, determination and team spirit.  Our primary vehicle to harness and instill such attributes is through the sport of track and field.

Another focus of GRTC is to inspire our youth to pursue their dreams through higher learning.  The GRTC Scholarship is annually presented to an Inner-City graduate of a Boston public high school.  The student will have excelled both academically and in track and field, and enrolled in a university or community college in September of the graduating year.

An ongoing public and community awareness platform is paramount to our success.  To this end, GRTC produces The Relay, our newsletter that essentially recounts our activities and achievements in the respective communities that we serve.  Our website also allows us to maintain an open and continuous dialogue with the community.

The focus of GRTC revolves around effective planning and implementation of activities that enable us to achieve our goal of giving back to the community. Our future development is contingent upon our success to collaborate with individuals and community organizations that are empathic to our cause.

History of the Roxbury Track Club

In the summer of 1973 at White Stadium, Roxbury Track Club (RTC) was founded by Gerald Lynch, Wayne Lumpkins, Randy Boyce, Thad Pritchet, Jr., and John Bailey.  It evolved from the fervor of the founders who saw the need to fill a void in the community; a community absent of a track and field program that could both recognize and further develop the natural abilities of its many talented youth.  Prior to the birth of RTC, there was only one track club in the 1960’s that accommodated the athletes of Roxbury and vicinity.  During its years, RTC exceeded 110 members, and approximately 70% of its athletes pursued higher education.

The club initially christened East Coast Ghetto Striders, was soon renamed Roxbury Track Club to better identify the community in which most of its athletes resided.  Gerald Lynch, who previously coached the Youth Games, was given the reins as Head Coach.  Assistant coaches who ran under the RTC banner included Irma Foster and Wayne Lumpkins.

The club colors, Red, Black, Green, and Gold were chosen to symbolize the team’s multicultural body.  We Stride With Pride became the club’s motto. Gertrude Leehan, publisher of the RTC monthly newsletter, authored the inspiring poem I Am A Runner.  GRTC has maintained the said colors, motto and poem to inspire its athletes, while continuing the legacy of RTC.

RTC Reunion 2003 provided the atmosphere for members to reminisce about their track and field experiences and the club's positive influence. Throughout the event, echoes of RTC…        

• filling a void in the community    

• serving as a means of unleashing natural talent    

• heightening the love for the sport    

• building character and self-esteem    

• serving as a family that infused success both 
  on and off the field   

• engendering scholarship opportunities

…collectively inspired the resurgence of the organization.  Unanimously, it was agreed that restoring RTC would fulfill our promise of giving back to the community.  Hence, the creation of GRTC was put in motion to groom, discipline, and inspire a new generation to pursue their dreams, as were their predecessors.