After Long Wait, Penn Relays Back On This Weekend As Spectacular Fields Come To Philadelphia

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

John Nepolitan photo

The return of the Penn Relays Carnival this week at Franklin Field in Philadelphia marks a comeback for one of the world's most iconic track and field meets. 

A forecast for a sunny, not-too-hot weather is perfect news for an event that was interrupted for the first time in its 125 years by the Coronavirus pandemic in both 2020 and 2021. 

Now, the thousands of athletes and tens of thousands of spectators will return for a celebration to not uplift the sport but also mark a new era at Penn. 

Longtime meet director Dave Johnson has retired and been replaced by Penn director of athletics Steve Dolan, with assistance from Aaron Robison, who left his role with The Armory. 

The three-day run of competition marks a revitalization of the sport on the East coast, where the elimination of the 2020 season and the tentative return of 2021 are finally in the rearview. 

This list of events suitable for preview is long, but here is sneak peak at some of the most intriguing. 

Much of the information here comes directly from the great Walt Murphy's thoroughly researched preview. 

1 - The Men's 4xMile 

In the wake of the Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker-led effort at Hayward Field last Saturday (15:52.05), there are two races at Penn Relays that might go as fast or faster. 

An Olympic Development men's 4xMile includes a team from On Athletics Club that appears to be even faster than the lineup in Eugene. Ollie Hoare, Joe Klecker, Geordie Beamish and Jonas Raess represent four different countries, but have the credentials to run faster than the Ireland quartet that ran 15:49.08 in 1985. Hoare led Wisconsin to its first Penn Relays victory in 103 years at the 2019 Relays. 

Empire Elite, led by sub-four milers Colby Alexander and Eric Holt, and Dublin Track Club, with three sub-four guys, could also be in the hunt to run sub-16 minutes, which would be a Penn Relays record. 

Newbury Park of California, once listed as an entry in this race with an aim of crushing the high school record in the event, has pulled out. 

The men's college 4xMile is also stacked with runners who are in mid-season form. Texas, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Villanova all have lineups that could smash the all-time collegiate record of 16:03.24 by Oregon in 2009. 

2 - Allyson Felix's Penn Farewell

The 11-time Olympic medalist wil compete for likely the final time at Penn Relays, as she has announced that 2022 will be her final competitive track season. Allyson Felix has a storied history at Penn Relays, as she participated on 13 winning relay teams from 2005 to 2012 in the USA vs The World series. 

Felix will run in the Olympic Development Women's 300 meters. It will be only the second 300 meters of her professional career.  

She will race Kyra Constatine, Morolake Akinosun and Anastasia Leroy. 

3 - Athing Mu vs Ajee' Wilson 

Olympic 800 meters champion Athing Mu, building on an incredible 2021, will race against World Indoors 800 meters champion Ajee' Wilson in the Olympic Development Women's 600 meters. 

It should be a spectacular show for three New Jersey legends (including Olivia Baker),who will share the track with high school phenom Sophia Gorriaran from Moses Brown RI 2019 NCAA champion Jazmine Fray, Jamaican record holder Natoya Goule and Sadi Henderson (Atlanta Track Club). Former Penn star Nia Akins is also in this race. 

4 - Boys 4x400 Relay

Jamaican teams have routinely dominated this event against their American counterparts. The last U.S. school to win the Championship of America in the boys 4x400 relay was Long Beach Poly CA in 2007. 

Kingston College, St. Jago, Edwin Allen, Calabar and Jamaica College -- brand names at Penn Relays -- can all run in the 3:09 to 3:12 range. 

It will be difficult for the U.S. schools entered to keep up with that, or even squeeze into the finals. But Bullis of Maryland won't stop trying, and Cathedral CA (3:15.80), DeMatha MD, Seton Hall Prep NJ and South County VA will be in the mix as well. 

5 - Girls High School Mile

Juliette Whittaker of Mount de Sales MD has waited a long time for a chance to return to Penn Relays and she'll have a chance to run for the relays record in both the Olympic Development women's 800 (Friday) and the high school mile on Thursday. 

Whittaker was one of the three high school girls to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials last year in the 800 meters. 

The Relays record of 4:38.19 by Victoria Starcher of Ripley WV is within Whittaker's grasp. Mia Cochran of Moon Area PA is also capable challenger. 

6 - Boys High School Mile

Local star Gary Martin, from Archbishop Wood, will also get a long-anticipated chance to take the stage at Penn. Martin stands a chance of becoming the first high schooler to break the four-minute barrier at Franklin Field after coming close, with 4:00.95, already in April. 

For Martin, it would be a storybook moment to achieve his first sub-four mile in his hometown at the first Penn Relays opportunity in three years. The meet record of 4:04.47 seems like it will be crushed. 

7 - Boys High School 4x800

Ridge of New Jersey, which enjoyed a wildly successfull New Balance Nationals Indoor in March, has pushed its chips into the 4x800, instead of the Distance Medley Relay, where it broke the national indoor record. 

Ridge will have its hands full with Jamaica College and Kingston College, but that competition may pull it to a fast time that ranks among the best in prep history. 

Ridge is one of 230 high schools from New Jersey alone in this massive field of the boys 4x800. 

8 - College Women's Distance Medley Relay

Brigham Young is sending a fast lineup to Penn Relays that could not only win but approach the collegiate record. Lauren Ellsworth, Alena Ellsworth, Claire Seymour and Courtney Wayment will take on strong teams from Indiana, Virginia, Ole Miss, Georgetown and Villanova. 

9 - Girls 4x100 Relay

Three years ago, Jamaican sprinters Tina Clayton and Tia Clayton were 14 years old and incredbily fast. They are coming back, part of the Edwin Allen team from Jamaica, and ready to show their speed at 17. 

The Claytons, along with teammate Serena Cole, were on a Jamaican team that ran a World U-18 record 42.58 at the Carifta Games. The Edwin Allen team has already run 43.37. That's more than two seconds faster than any U.S. team this spring. 

Edwin Allen has won this event eight times at Penn Relays. The top six teams in the 4x100 come from Jamaica. 

10 - College Women's 4x1,500m Relay 

This event features some of the NCAA's top distance groups and the meet record of 17:08.34, set by Tennessee in 2009, is definitely in jeopardy. 

Arkansas, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, BYU, Georgetown and Villanova are bringing loaded lineups to the race. 

The NC State lineup features Katelyn Tuohy, who is returning to Franklin Field for the first time since her legendary performances for North Rockland High of New York. In 2019, at the last Penn Relays, Tuohy ran a 4:36.94 1,600-meter leg on her team's DMR, which finished sixth.