Drake RelaysEdit
The Drake Relays, held on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, are among the oldest and most respected gatherings of track and field athletes in the United States. First staged in 1910, the meet grew from a campus event into a nationwide showcase that draws top collegiate programs, high school teams, and international competitors. It is as much a civic ritual as a competition, reflecting values like hard work, merit, and community pride that have long underpinned American amateur sport.
Over the decades, the Relays have served as a proving ground for emerging talent and as a gathering place where fans of track and field observe a broad spectrum of disciplines—from sprints and hurdles to distances, jumps, and throws. The meet operates as a barometer for early-season form in the college calendar, while also giving high school athletes a platform to post national-standard performances. Its reputation for fast marks and competitive depth has helped keep it central to the NCAA spring schedule and to the broader ecosystem of Track and field in the United States.
The event is anchored by a distinctive on-campus setting at Drake Stadium, with a program that blends traditional relays, distance events, field events, and relays for both male and female athletes. Over multiple days, the Relays typically feature a blend of college-level competition and open divisions, along with divisions that invite top high school performers. The format emphasizes breadth as well as depth, offering opportunities to chase regional and national records, and serves as a focal point for coaches seeking early-season benchmarks and for athletes seeking to raise their profiles ahead of conference championships and national meets. Drake University and the surrounding Des Moines community have long benefited from the spectator appeal and local economic activity generated by the meet, which draws fans and participants from across the region and beyond.
History
Origins and growth - The Drake Relays began in the early 20th century as a campus-meets-format celebration of track and field hosted by Drake University in Des Moines, with the aim of promoting sport on a regional and national level. The event quickly earned a reputation for competitive fields and organized pacing that allowed audiences to experience a wide range of events in a few days. The Relays gradually expanded to attract national-caliber athletes and to include more schools and age groups. Track and field as a sport in the United States owes much of its mid-century development to contests like the Drake Relays, which balanced amateurism with high-level performance.
Evolution and milestones - Through the mid- and late 20th century, the Relays incorporated newer events and expanded opportunities for high school athletes, reflecting broader changes in American athletics under the influence of policy frameworks like Title IX and ever-changing views on gender equity and participation. The meet also benefited from improvements to on-campus facilities, culminating in purposes-built venues that helped secure the event’s status as a premier spring destination for athletes and fans.
Notable venues and culture - While the Relays are centered at Drake Stadium, the overall experience blends on-site competition with a broader festival atmosphere—an approach that emphasizes accessibility and spectator engagement. The meet’s long-standing culture value is its emphasis on merit, fair competition, and traditions of amateur sport, which play a central role in the way the event is perceived by fans, participants, and officials alike. See Drake Stadium and Des Moines for more on the venue and city context.
Program and highlights
Events and divisions - The Drake Relays provide a wide program that spans sprints, middle-distance and distance races, hurdles, jumps, throws, and classic relays. The event structure typically includes divisions for college teams, open divisions featuring independent athletes, and high school divisions, allowing a broad range of athletes to compete in a single, coherent meet. The meet’s inclusive design is part of its enduring appeal, while the core emphasis remains on performance, technique, and tactical racing. For broader context on how such programs fit into the American track calendar, see NCAA and Track and field.
Facilities and atmosphere - The on-campus setting of Drake University provides a compact but high-quality venue for a meet with a national footprint. The Relays have built a reputation for a fast, fair track surface and well-organized competition schedules, enabling athletes to post strong marks in a supportive environment. The event’s rhythm—balancing multiple events across several days—is a hallmark that distinguishes Drake from more specialized meets.
Legacy and impact - The Drake Relays have helped launch or accelerate the careers of numerous American athletes, contributing to the sport’s depth at the collegiate and high school levels. Beyond the podium, the meet plays a role in the local economy of Des Moines and in the broader promotion of athletics as a pathway to scholarships, national teams, and international competition. The ongoing appeal of the Relays lies in its blend of tradition and ongoing competitiveness, a combination that resonates with many who value self-reliance, discipline, and competitive merit.
Controversies and debates
Merit, inclusion, and policy - Like many long-running athletic events, the Drake Relays operate within debates about fairness, inclusion, and the proper role of political considerations in sport. Proponents of maintaining a strict emphasis on competitive merit argue that the primary purpose of the Relays is to showcase athletic performance and to advance the best runners, throwers, and jumpers based on objective results. Critics who push for broader inclusion policies or changes to eligibility criteria sometimes frame the conversation in terms of equity and representation; supporters of the traditional approach contend that the best way to advance sport is through clear standards that reward achievement and protect the integrity of women’s and men’s competition, as understood under applicable governance rules. In this framing, critiques that prioritize identity politics over performance are viewed as misguided by those who see sport as a crucible of character and achievement.
Amateurism and commercialization - The Drake Relays sit at the intersection of amateur tradition and modern logistics. Debates in this area often center on the balance between allowing broader access to competition (including professional or semi-professional athletes in certain divisions) and preserving a spirit of amateur sport that rewards effort and skill rather than market value alone. Those inclined to a more traditional, merit-first view argue that the Relays should maintain a clear standard of amateur eligibility for most divisions, while still recognizing the value athletes gain from competing against strong fields. Critics who push for more commercialization or professional participation say such moves can dilute the event’s character; supporters maintain that the focus on performance and developmental opportunity remains the strongest justification for the meet.
Gender considerations and sport policy - Contemporary debates around gender inclusion intersect with events like the Relays in ways that reflect broader national conversations. The right-of-center perspective typically emphasizes preserving fair competition, particularly in women’s events, while also recognizing the benefits of inclusive participation. In practice, the Relays have to navigate evolving eligibility rules and governance guidelines; proponents argue for policies that are biologically informed and that protect the opportunities for female athletes to compete on a level playing field, while critics might frame the discussion in terms of broader social inclusion. As with many platforms that host mixed-gender and open divisions, the conversation centers on balancing opportunity with fairness, and on maintaining a competitive environment that rewards performance.
See also