Madison Square and Madison Square Park

The race is named for a New York arena that was demolished more than a century ago.

Six day races ran at the first Madison Square Garden from the 1890s, drawing large crowds for a brutal solo event. When New York restricted how many hours one rider could stay on the track, promoters split riders into two man teams that swapped places at speed, and the new format took the arena's name. French and Italian still call it the americana.