Nick Newton

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Milton "Nick" Newton (November 6, 1933 – March 31, 2018) was an American inventor from Tarboro, North Carolina. He created the Newton Starting Blocks, lightweight cast aluminum blocks that help sprinters grip the track at the start of a race. He designed them after working as a tool and die maker for Waste King to help his daughter Pam in girls' track. The blocks were a big improvement over the old ones and were used at major meets such as the Mt. SAC Relays. Newton earned his first patent in 1978 and later patented two more improvements for starting positions. He mentored the L.A. Mercurettes Track Club, an elite group in the 1970s and 80s. In 1976 he joined Olympian John Carlos on a trip to South Africa to support desegregation in sport. He had no track background as a child, but after turning 40 he became a successful Masters sprinter and high jumper, setting records and even holding world records in the M45 400 meters and the M60 high jump. In 2004 he was inducted into the Masters division of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.