Drake Relays facts for kids
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| Sport | Track and field |
|---|---|
| Founded | (First held in April of 1910) |
| Country | Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
| Qualification | World Athletics Silver Level |
| Sponsor(s) | Xtream powered by Mediacom |
| Related competitions |
Penn Relays |
The Drake Relays is a super exciting outdoor track and field event! It happens every year in Des Moines, Iowa, at Drake University's Drake Stadium. People call it America's Athletic Classic because it's known as one of the best track and field events in the whole United States. In 2020, the Drake Relays became a "Silver Level" event on the World Athletics Continental Tour. This means it's a really important competition worldwide!
Contents
The History of the Drake Relays
How It All Started
The very first Drake Relays happened way back in 1910. Only about 100 people came to watch, and 82 athletes competed. They were all from colleges and high schools near Des Moines. But it quickly grew! By the second year, 250 athletes and 500 fans showed up.
In 1914, something amazing happened: the first world record was set at the Relays! By 1922, the event was so big it lasted two days. About 10,000 fans came, and it was the first major track and field event ever broadcast on the radio!
Growing and Changing
A special place for the Relays, Drake Stadium, was finished in 1926. Women's events were added in 1961, and famous runner Wilma Rudolph even competed in the 100 meters.
From 1966, the Relays sold out every Saturday for 48 years in a row! That's a lot of fans! In 1969, a new, fast track called a "tartan track" was put in. In 1976, all the events started using the metric system (like meters instead of yards). The track was rebuilt in 1978 to be a 400-meter oval. Later, in 1988, it was named the "Jim Duncan Track" to honor the person who announced the races for a long time.
Olympic Stars and Big Changes
Many Olympic gold medalists have competed at the Drake Relays. Some famous names include Bruce Jenner, Michael Johnson, Carl Lewis, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Frank Shorter, Gwen Torrence, and Jeremy Wariner. Hundreds of athletes who competed at the Relays later went on to the Olympic Games. For example, 113 former Drake Relays athletes competed in the 2012 Olympic Games!
In 2006, they added a Friday night session for the first time. In 2010, the "Grand Blue Mile" was added. This is a one-mile road race in downtown Des Moines. Now, the Relays week is a big celebration! It starts with a parade, then a "Beautiful Bulldog Contest" (Drake's mascot), the Grand Blue Mile, and an indoor pole vault event. The decathlon and heptathlon events also happen during the week.
In 2012, a company called Hy-Vee became a main sponsor. This made the Drake Relays the richest athletics event in the U.S.! They offered big cash prizes for winners. Also, parts of the Relays were shown live on TV channels like ESPN2 and NBCSN. This meant even more people could watch the amazing athletes compete.
In 2018, the "Blue Standard" was introduced. This allows Iowa's best high school athletes to automatically qualify for the Relays. It's based on how well athletes have done in past events.
In 2020, Xtream powered by Mediacom became the new main sponsor. This partnership has helped the Drake Relays stay one of the world's top track and field events. It also helps the event grow even more in the future!
The Relays are not just a track meet. They're like a second homecoming for Drake University. There are also fun community events, like students painting the street and a big party downtown!
Drake Stadium
Drake Stadium opened in 1925. This stadium has 14,557 seats and a famous blue track. It has hosted the Drake Relays since 1926. In 2006, the stadium got a big upgrade. They spent $15 million to make the lanes wider and improve the stadium for fans. After the 2016 Relays, a brand new track was put in. It's made of the same material used for the Olympic tracks in Beijing and London!
Relays Directors
Since the first Drake Relays in 1910, eleven different people have been in charge. They are called the "Relays Director."
- John L. Griffith (1910–1918): He was the person who started the Drake Relays! He was director for nine years. Later, he became a very important person in college sports, leading the Big Ten Conference. Drake University's bulldog mascot, Griff, is named after him.
- M. B. Banks (1919–1921): He also coached Drake's football and basketball teams.
- K. L. (Tug) Wilson (1922–1925): He was a former Olympic athlete. After being director, he became the athletic director at Northwestern University. He also led the Big Ten Conference.
- O. M. (Ossie) Solem (1926–1932): He was a long-time coach at Drake. He later became a head football coach at other big universities.
- F. P. (Pitch) Johnson (1933–1940)
- M. E. (Bill) Easton (1941–1947)
- Tom Deckard (1948–1955)
- Bob Karnes (1956–1969)
- Bob Ehrhart (1970–2000)
- Mark Kostek (2001–2005)
- Brian Brown (2006–2016): Brian actually competed in the Relays himself! He held the Drake Relays record for the high jump for many years. For eight years as director, he tried to get someone to break his own record!
- Blake Boldon (2017–present)
Future Dates
Want to know when the next Drake Relays will be? Here are some upcoming dates:
- 112th Annual Drake Relays: April 21–24, 2021
- 113th Annual Drake Relays: April 27–30, 2022
- 114th Annual Drake Relays: April 26–29, 2023
