Your Guide To The 2022 Penn Relays, Drake Relays: Thrilling Races On Tap

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This weekend, the historic Penn Relays and Drake Relays meets are going head-to-head again for the first time in two years. I will be in Philadelphia on Friday and Saturday to e̶a̶t̶ a̶l̶l̶ o̶f̶ t̶h̶e̶ J̶a̶m̶a̶i̶c̶a̶n̶ j̶e̶r̶k̶ c̶h̶i̶c̶k̶e̶n̶ cover the Penn Relays. A few years back, CITIUS MAG OG blogger Paul Snyder nailed it when he called the Penn Relays“the world’s fastest feast” because of their abundance of delicacies native to both Philadelphia and Jamaica to celebrate the races. I believe this will be my sixth time covering the Penn Relays and the first time since 2017.

This year’s biggest change to the 127-year-old meet is that On has replaced Nike as a major sponsor and there are no longer any USA vs. The World relay races, which previously drew stars like Usain Bolt and Allyson Felix to compete in their national kits at Franklin Field (Felix was slated to compete in the women’s 300m but withdrew on Wednesday morning). There still will be great collegiate races and a highly-anticipated 4xMile relay on Friday night.

You’ll be able to watch the meet on Flotrack with a subscription on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. However, there will be a two-hour TV window that you’ll be able to catch some really good races on ESPN 2 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET Saturday, April 30. Keep this link handy for all the live results and a full schedule.

The Drake Relays will be televised on CBS Sports Network on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET. All other races will be on Runnerspace with a subscription. You can use this link for all the live results and a full schedule.

Here are some key races to follow on Friday and Saturday from Penn and Drake:

FRIDAY

Penn Relays – High School Boys Mile Championship | 4:40 p.m.

I’ve been a big fan of Gary Martin from Archbishop Wood (Penn.) since he beat a fairly strong field at New Balance Indoor Nationals and then clocked a 4:00.95 at a lowkey meet at LaSalle. Obviously, his goal this year is to become the 14th U.S. high school boy to break four minutes for the mile. The Penn Relays high school boys mile record is 4:04.47, set in 2013 by Sean McGorty. Martin did a lot of the work solo in his 4:00.95, so he could run faster if he gets some pressure from in-state rival CJ Singleton from Butler (Penn.) late in the race.

Earlier this week, Martin tweeted, “It’s not often that you get to run at one of the most historic meets in the country in front of a home crowd. Can’t wait to take it all in and chase some history Friday.” Penn Relays is pretty much the Kentucky Derby of PA high school track and field, so if either or both boys break 4 minutes at Franklin Field, it would be a dream come true and a race to remember for generations.

Penn Relays – Olympic Development 4xMile | 8:40 p.m.

In March, Flotrack teased the men’s 4 x Mile relays as one of the marquee events to watch by announcing a record* attempt by the On Athletics Club quartet of Morgan McDonald, Olli Hoare, Geordie Beamish and Joe Klecker. The initial race announcement also featured the U.S. high school record holders from Newbury Park High School (Calif.), but the California teens withdrew from the meet on April 14 due to the illness of an athlete.

Now, just half of the team competing at Penn Relays is comprised of the original OAC squad as On-sponsored athletes Tom Elmer and Ben Flanagan have been called on as replacements. Geordie Beamish has scratched from the lineup and Morgan McDonald has not raced since last year’s Tokyo Olympics as he works his way back from injury and a brief bout with COVID-19.

It’s not as strong as the original squad, but if all goes well, they could still challenge the record of 15:49.08 by an Irish all-star team in 1985. The fastest time run on U.S. soil was last weekend’s 15:52.05 by the ‘Ducks Track Club’ team of Matt Wisner, James West, Cole Hocker and Cooper Teare. In the Oregon attempt, when the pace lagged on the third leg, it left too much work for Teare to close out on the anchor leg.

If On decides to close things out with Klecker and Hoare, they could be in good shape if the first two legs come close to their personal bests. The key will be how Elmer does in his first race since February and how Flanagan fares in his first track mile since 2019. Flanagan ran 3:44.98 for 1500m last weekend in Columbus, Ohio as part of a 800-1500-5000m triple at the meet. It’s clear he’s been working on his speed recently after focusing much of his winter on the roads and clocking a 61:38 half marathon in Houston.

Empire Elite is also fielding a team comprised of Eric Holt, Colby Alexander, Luciano Fiore and Ben Allen that could help keep the pace honest and maybe even break the outdoor American record of 16:08.54. The Brooks Beasts have the fastest 4xmile in U.S. history from their 16:03.68 indoor race at The Armory in 2018.

Keep your eyes on a Dublin Track Club squad that includes Andrew Coscoran, Sean Tobin, Paul Robinson and Hiko Haso who could try and spoil the party for everyone. Coscoran in particular was on fire this indoor season. And after the fast times we saw in the DMR during the NCAA indoor season, it’s possible that the NCAA athletes taking a crack at the 4xmile on Saturday run even faster (see below).

*For a combination of technical reasons, I’ve been calling this an attempt for the “fastest time” not a world record or world best.

SATURDAY

Penn Relays – College Women’s 4x1500 Championship of America | 12:30 p.m. ET

This should be a very even matchup between two great programs at the moment. Arkansas is looking to deliver a few last Penn Relays wheels before coach Lance Harter retires at the end of the year and NC State’s women are looking to win their first Championship of America title for coach Laurie Henes. I’ll be curious to see where both teams put their strongest runners. Arkansas’ Lauren Gregory is coming off a big 5000m personal best of 15:25.17 at the Mt. SAC Relays. The Wolfpack’s Katelyn Tuohy just ran 15:14.61 for 5000m at the Virginia Challenge last weekend. Watch out for BYU as well with Kate Hunter, Carmen Alder, Heather Hanson and Sadi Sargent. The NCAA record of 17:08.34 by Tennessee was set at this meet in 2009, and if multiple teams commit to a fast pace, it could be under threat.

Penn Relays – High School Boys 4x100m Championship of America | 12:55 p.m. ET

Expect this one to be loud as the Jamaican fans show up in droves to support iconic schools like St. Jago, Calabar and Kingston College. It’s the closest thing we’ll get to the USA vs. Jamaican race this year, and the American hopes for a win rest on the shoulders of Florida’s IMG Academy.

Penn Relays – College Men’s 4x100m Championship of America | 1:05 p.m. ET

Immediately following them up will be the NCAA studs. Carl Lewis and Leroy Burrell’s Houston sprints squad is looking to make it a threepeat but you’ll see some new faces since it’s been three years since the Relays were last held.

Penn Relays – College Men’s 4xMile Championship of America | 1:10 p.m. ET

It’s a shame that we won’t see the top teams from this race within Friday night’s field because it would be interesting to see how they’d fare against the pros. It’s one of my favorite races to watch because of the drama that plays out on each leg. One of the funniest videos is the race from the 2015 Penn Relays where the fourth legs almost started walking at one point and it came down to a sprint finish between Villanova’s Jordy Williamz and Oregon’s Edward Cheserek. It goes to show that fast times aren’t always necessary for thrilling races - if you’re not pumped for this after watching that, I don’t know what else to show you. The current NCAA record is 16:03.24 set by Oregon in 2009. Texas, which won the DMR indoors, is fielding a team with four 3:57 guys. Wisconsin is the defending champion from 2019 and has 3:54 miler Adam Spencer and 3:56 miler Olin Hacker on the team. It’s the Penn Relays so Villanova always turns up for it and seeks its 21st title in this, often with a spirited challenge from Georgetown.

Drake Relays – College Women’s Sprint Medley Relay | 2:38 p.m. ET

Watch for Kentucky to go after the collegiate record in the women’s sprint medley relay. The team will consist of Karimah Davis, Abby Steiner, Alexis Holmes and Jenna Schwinghamer. Texas A&M currently holds the record from a 3:38.93 performance at the Texas Relays in March.

Drake Relays – Women’s 400m Hurdles | 2:09 p.m. ET

Dalilah Muhammad will run the 400m hurdles for the first time since taking silver at the Tokyo Olympics. The last time she competed at Drake Stadium was in 2019 when she was the reigning Olympic champion and later that season she added ‘world record holder’ to her resume (albeit temporarily) with a 52.20 win at the U.S. Championships.

Penn Relays – Olympic Development Women’s 100m Hurdles | 2:12 p.m. ET

ESPN starts carrying the coverage at 2 p.m. and we’ll get our first glimpse at Olympic champion and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin opening up her 2022 season with a 100m hurdles race. I distinctly remember the last time she was at the Penn Relays. She split 50.4 on the anchor leg of Union Catholic’s 4x400m relay and I turned to photographer Jason Suarez in the infield and told him that she was going to be a star. This will be her first race since running in the 4x400m final at the Tokyo Olympics. McLaughlin spent much of her early season last year honing her form in the shorter, higher hurdles event, so it will be interesting to see where she stacks up compared to April 2021.

Penn Relays – Olympic Development Men’s 110m Hurdles | 2:17 p.m. ET

I will be upset if the PA announcer in the stadium doesn’t announce Devon Allen as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. I wish Allen would get an Eagles logo on his race kit too. But even the cheers from the Philly faithful might be drowned out by the Jamaican fans, who will be cheering hard for 2016 Olympic champion Omar McLeod. Allen enters this race with the world-leading time after running 13.12 in Annapolis last weekend.

Penn Relays – Olympic Development Women’s 1500m | 2:29 p.m. ET

Former BYU stars and now Adidas pros Anna Camp Bennett and Whittni Orton Morgan headline this field against Charlene Lipsey, who’s hoping to bring some home-field advantage since she trains under Derek Thompson in Philadelphia. In her last appearance at the Penn Relays in 2018, Lipsey won the mile in 4:31.19 and then lowered her personal best to 4:27.28 later that summer.

Drake Relays – Men’s Shot Put | 2:45 p.m. ET

Ryan Crouser opens up his outdoor season and looks to start up a new winning streak. He just took silver at the World Indoor Championships after dealing with a nerve issue in his elbow, which was his first loss since the 2019 World Outdoor Championships. On Instagram, Crouser wrote: “After over a month of extremely frustrating training finally seeing some signs of life in my throw. Off to the Drake Relays this Saturday!” We’ll also see fan-favorite Nick Ponzio and U.S. stars Josh Awotunde and Darrell Hill in action.

Penn Relays – Men’s 4x800m Championship of America | 3:02 p.m. ET

After flirting with the prospect of the 4xmile championship, Ole Miss is throwing all of its chips toward this race. It’s probably the right move on paper as John Rivera and Tiarnan Crorken bring a pair of 1:46 personal bests to the table. Georgetown will try to defend its title from 2019.

Drake Relays – Men’s 800m | 3:33 p.m. ET

This has the potential to be a truly special moment for Iowa-based pro Erik Sowinski. He will be chasing his 200th career sub-1:50, a true testament to the remarkable longevity and consistency of his career. He’ll be racing with good company, as Olympian Isaiah Jewett will be running his first outdoor 800m race since falling in the semifinal of the Tokyo Olympics.

Penn Relays – Olympic Development Women’s 600m | 3:47 p.m. ET

This field has the biggest star power of any race this weekend. Olympic 800m champion Athing Mu will line up against 2022 World Indoor Champion Ajee’ Wilson, who also holds the U.S. outdoor record in this event with a 1:22.39 in 2017. Back in 2019, Mu rose to prominence by winning the 600m at the U.S. Indoor Championships in an American indoor record time of 1:23.57. It would take some serious juice this early in the season to try and challenge Caster Semenya’s world record of 1:21.77 from 2017, but if anyone could threaten the mark, it’s these two.

The rest of the field is stacked, too. Jamaican 800m record holder Natoya Goule had a strong indoor campaign and will give the Jamaican fans someone to root for. Atlanta Track Club Elite is also sending world championship qualifier Olivia Baker and Sadi Henderson. Moses Brown School junior Sophia Gorriaran never backs down from a race against pros and holds a personal best of 1:27.02 in this event from 20221.

That’s it from me today. As always, thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this, learned something new, or have any questions or commentary on anything featured in this issue, feel free to hit my inbox by replying or writing to [email protected]

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