Attending my first Drake Relays

You'd have thought I'd have made it to the Relays at some time before now ... but this was my first. It was AMAZING! In one short afternoon, I saw some of the best in the state of Iowa, in the United States, and in the world do what they do. I saw people high jump over seven feet, pole vault over nineteen feet, and run a mile in under four minutes; all impressive feats (at least to me.)

I also got to actually see the steeplechase run; the image in the upper left corner is a participant in the steeplechase. It was pretty odd to see a group of runners approach and negotiate the barriers. From time to time, one would fall, recover, and resume the race. I'd seen the barrier and water pit in the north end of the stadium years ago. It was something else to see it in use.

There were three major levels for competition: high school, university, and select. Long time rivals lined up to do their best and it was fun to watch. It was like being at a four ring circus. There were races, high jumps, pole vaults, and shot puts going on all at the same time! Somehow, the public address announcer kept us aware of what was going on and when something of note was about to be attempted.

I had to park just under a mile away and, as I approached, I joined into little streams of people heading for the stadium. We passed businesses doing booming lunch business on makeshift patios, vendors of Relays memorabilia, and general shows of support. I felt fortunate to find a ticket still available; before the day was done, it was an announced sellout.

Once inside, the energy of the crowd was invigorating. Several were competitors, friends, and family so they had strong rooting interests. Many competitors have made it a point to return to the Relays regularly and have built a fan base with the regulars in the stands. It had a very special feel.

The events clicked off and Relays, stadium, and state records fell with regularity. A few more would have fallen but were considered wind assisted and not accepted; I believe they announced that fourteen records had been equalled or surpassed by the time I left.

I'll certainly keep this in mind in the future.