In Relay-ted News

This week in Philadelphia thousands of track and field athletes will gather to compete in the Penn Relays, the largest event of its kind in the United States. Since 1895, athletes from across the country and the globe have traveled to southeastern Pennsylvania on the last weekend of April to test their speed and agility among elite competition.

Estimates are that this year’s festivities will bring approximately 17,000 athletes and 115,000 spectators to West Philadelphia.  The action is taking place at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field, located at 235 S. 33^rd Street in University City, Philadelphia.

The event includes competitions for high school students, college students, Olympic hopefuls, and special Olympians.  If you're not able to make the trek to Philly, you can follow the results on twitter @pennrelays.

One of the more popular events in recent years is the USA vs the World relay. This year's will be taking place at 12:30 pm on Saturday and broadcast live on NBCSN. There will be 4 x 100, 4 x 200, and 4 x 400 races, in both male and female divisions. 

 

The event attracts a wide variety of participants, including 100 year old Ida Keeling. As the New York Times reports, Ms. Keeling has been running most of her life and is not about to let the century mark slow her down.  Stories like these are what make the event memorable, and no doubt each one of the 17,000 athletes has a unique tale of obstacles and triumphs, all of which will come to a head in their events this weekend.  As those speeding athletes careen around the Franklin Field track this weekend, they may appear from a distance to be little more than blurs of track shorts and singlets, but wise spectators will know the blood, sweat, and tears we can't see are what really propel them. 

Penn Relays + The NFL Draft

I didn't make it out to the Penn Relays last week, because I'm lame. And there was that little thing, the NFL Draft, which is --arguably-- the raison d'etre for the Internet. I feel the TV aspect is virtually unwatchable; but I LOVE the multi-source continual data load required with each passing pick. (I've been a Draft/Internet fiend since, I swear 1996-97-ish.) I hear Saturday was beautiful. I never emerged from my man cave.



But we did send a crack photographic crew to the Penn Relays. This is what they came back with:

Penn Relays 2010

Sports Uniform GuyTeamSportsPlanet.com

Penn Relays To Get Jolt of Bolt

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As a Philly native (i.e., a strong opinion about anything sports-related and not afraid to espouse it), it is my firmly held conviction that the Penn Relays don't really require a whole lot of extra hullabaloo to maintain it's status as one of the country's premier track& field events.

Yeah, I know it's the oldest & largest, too. But those criteria alone don't exact make a track event sizzle. As in, "Hey, let's go watch the fat, old dudes race against each other."

Then again, when 3X Olympic Gold Medalist Usain Bolt decides he wants to participate, any event's "street cred" would spike upward. (heck, maybe even Dancing With the Stars)

True, the Penn Relays, held @ the Univ. of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field (since 1895), has stood the test of time. It can get along quite nicely without any singular athlete and their associated shijizzle (or however Snoop Dogg would modify).

But Bolt's a special athlete. No doubt. Hailing from the track star, spawning grounds of Jamaica, Usain is the current world record holder in the 100 meter. By the most commonly used measuring instrument, he is "the World's Fastest Human Being". And at 9.58 sec., he is most definitely jammin'.

Bolt is expected to take part in the 4X100 relay pitting USA vs. THE WORLD, scheduled for 4:15 on Saturday the 24th (The event kicks into high gear on Thursday the 22nd).

And just when you thought you could get out of here without some mention of the uniforms being worn....WRONG! We will have our eyes peeled and be taking notes. With Jamaica representing, you know it's going be to be colorful!


Sports Uniform Guy
TeamSportsPlanet.com