Drake Relays

American annual track and field competition

The Drake Relays (officially the Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom) is an outdoor track and field event held in Des Moines, Iowa, in Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University. Billed as America's Athletic Classic, it is regarded as one of the top track and field events in the United States. In 2020, the Drake Relays was named a Silver Level event on the World Athletics Continental Tour, one of only two competitions in the United States to earn Silver Level status.

The inaugural Drake Relays were held in 1910. The first meet drew just 100 spectators and 82 athletes, all from Des Moines area colleges and high schools. The second year attendance grew to 250 athletes and a crowd of some 500 spectators. In 1914, the Relays saw its first world record set. By 1922, the Relays had expanded to two days and drew 10,000 fans, becoming the first major track and field event broadcast on radio. For the 1926 Relays, Drake Stadium was built on the site of the prior host, Haskins Field. Women's events were added beginning in 1961 with Wilma Rudolph competing in the 100 meters. The 1966 Relays began a streak of 48 consecutive Saturdays with a sellout. In 1969, a $175,000 tartan track was installed. The events at the Relays would go all metric in 1976 and the track was rebuilt as a 400 meter oval in 1978. It was resurfaced in 1983, and in 1988 was renamed the "Jim Duncan Track" to honor the long time relays public address announcer. Hundreds of Olympic gold medalists have competed at Drake Stadium including Caitlyn Jenner, Michael Johnson, Carl Lewis, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Frank Shorter, Gwen Torrence, and Jeremy Wariner. Hundreds more Drake Relays competitors have gone onto compete in the Olympic Games, including 113 at the 2012 Olympic Games. In 2006, a Friday evening session was added. In 2010, the Grand Blue Mile, a one mile road race in downtown Des Moines, was added. The week of festivities currently opens with a parade on Saturday, continues with a Beautiful Bulldog Contest (Drake's mascot) on Sunday, the Grand Blue Mile on Tuesday, and an indoor pole vault on Wednesday with the decathlon and heptathlon beginning Wednesday and concluding alongside the distance carnival on Thursday. Midwest grocer Hy Vee became the presenting sponsor beginning in 2013, enabling the Relays to offer a $50,000 purse in running events and $25,000 purse in field events, making the Drake Relays the richest athletics event in the United States. ESPN2 aired 90 minutes of live action coverage that year and ESPN3 aired an additional two hours. The 2013 field saw 25 Olympic medalists compete. Currently NBCSN airs 2–3 hours of coverage on Saturday with live online coverage via NBCSports. com throughout the event. In January 2018 Drake Relays unveiled the Blue Standard, under which Iowa's top high school athletes automatically qualify based on their event performance. The Blue Standard is the top 25 percent of accepted entrant's results from past Drake Relays. In March 2020, Xtream powered by Mediacom was named the presenting sponsor of the Drake Relays. Xtream's sponsorship allows the Drake Relays to maintain its status as a premier track and field event, to be called the "Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom". In addition to the track meet, the Relays serves as a second homecoming for the university and sees other community events such as student street painting and a downtown Des Moines block party.

Opened in 1925, the 14,557 seat stadium and its famous blue oval have hosted the Relays since 1926. A $15 million renovation in 2006 reduced capacity from 18,000 seats in order to expand the lanes, allow fans to watch throwing and running at the same time, and allow for more hosting of events.

EventRecordAthleteNationalityDateRef100 m10.01 (+1.9 m/s)Harvey Glance24 April 1976200 m20.02 (+1.7 m/s)Wallace Spearmon28 April 2012400 m44.08Kirani James29 April 2016800 m1:45.86Randy Wilson28 April 19781500 m3:38.27Steve Scott28 April 1984Mile3:51.71Alan Webb28 April 20075000 m13:21.39Morgan McDonald23 April 202110000 m28:07.40Kipsubai Koskei26 April 1980110 m hurdles13.04 (+1.8 m/s)Omar McLeod29 April 2017400 m hurdles48.15Alison dos Santos24 April 2021High jumpDerek Drouin25 April 2014Pole vaultKC Lightfoot22 April 2024Long jumpAnthuan Maybank24 April 1993Triple jumpChristian Taylor27 April 2013Shot putPayton Otterdahl24 April 2024Discus throwReggie Jagers28 April 2018Hammer ThrowLibor Charfreitag27 April 2002Decathlon8198 ptsKip Janvrin25 April 199610.96 (100 m), 7.20 m (long jump), 13.72 m (shot put), 1.98 m (high jump), 48.57 (400 m) /14.70 (110 m hurdles), 43.16 m (discus), 4.95 m (pole vault), 58.02 m (javelin), 4:11.63 (1500 m)4 × 100 m relay38.96University of AlabamaEmmit KingLamar SmithCalvin SmithWalter Monroe30 April 19834 × 200 m relay1:20.53University of Texas El PasoObadele ThompsonMilton MallardHayden StephenAndrew Tynes30 April 19944 × 400 m relay3:00.78Southern Illinois UniversityParry DuncanTony AdamsElvis FordeMichael Franks28 April 1984

EventRecordAthleteNationalityDateRef100 m11.06 (0.0 m/s)LaShauntea Moore24 April 2010200 m 22.40 (+0.7 m/s)Gwen Torrence30 April 1994400 m50.13Francena McCorory25 April 20151500 m4:03.35Jennifer Simpson26 April 2013Mile4:40.2Francie Larrieu Smith27 April 19753000 m8:56.03Suzy Favor Hamilton27 April 2002Two miles9:16.78Jennifer Simpson27 April 20185000 m15:23.21Karissa Schweizer26 April 2018100 m hurdles12.40 (+1.5 m/s)Jasmin Stowers25 April 20153000 m steeplechase9:32.23Leah Falland26 April 2018Pole vaultSandi Morris28 April 2018Triple jump Shani Marks26 April 2003Shot put Tia Brooks29 April 2016Discus throw Becky Breisch24 April 2010Hammer throw Brooke Andersen27 April 2023Heptathlon6040 ptsDiana Pickler21–22 April 200913.63 (0.0 m/s) (100 m hurdles), 1.78 m (high jump), 12.08 m (shot put), 24.48 (+1.7 m/s) (200 m) /6.14 m (+1.0 m/s) (long jump), 41.39 m (javelin), 2:16.73 (800 m)4 × 100 m relay43.58University Of TexasMorgan SnowAllison PeterChristy UdohChalonda Goodman28 April 20124 × 200 m relay1:31.96Texas Southern UniversityLinda EseimokumohBeatrice UtonduDyan WebberMary Onyali28 April 19894 × 400 m relay3:28.42Purdue UniversityChole AbbotBrionna ThomasSymone BlackJahneya Mitchell28 April 2018Distance medley relay11:03.25Notre Dame UniversityOlivia MarkezichKelly HartErin SullivanKatie Wasserman24 April 2021