The Drake Relays have taken many forms over the years, with events on and off campus changing to keep up with the trends. Director of Athletics Brian Hardin and Senior Associate Athletics Director and Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays Blake Boldon are always taking into consideration what fans and athletes want to see.
“The Drake Relays have always done an amazing job of evolving with the times,” Hardin said in an email interview. “With Blake Boldon’s leadership, I’m proud that this year’s Drake Relays will include athletes of all ages and abilities, including participants in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities, Olympians, Paralympians, Special Olympians and Master’s divisions.”
Hardin holds Drake as a special place to his roots, as he grew up with the Bulldog community in his backyard through his time growing up, as it impacted his upbringing.
“I have a special connection to the Relays as I grew up three miles from Drake Stadium and attended it as a child as my dad was a local high school track coach,” Hardin said. “I had the privilege to run in the Relays both in high school and college. And my time as athletics director has given me the unique perspective of the significance Relays has on our athletics department and university.”
Including the Bulldog community in the process of keeping the event entertaining for everyone is a key goal of athletics while planning the Relays season. Certain goals and processes are taken into consideration by Boldon to ensure that he keeps the standards of Relays to the highest possible.
“As a campus and community celebration, it’s paramount that our fan experience remains on the cutting edge of our sport so we remain a vital and relevant celebration for students, alumni and track and field fans from around the world,” Boldon said in an email interview. “We constantly monitor trends in fan engagement in the sporting events industry, and we annually evaluate ways we can continue to evolve.”
Some events that have changed over the years and have become annual or biannual events have been the Vaults at Jordan Creek, where world-class athletes are invited to pole vault in the center of the Jordan Creek Mall in West Des Moines, and the shot put event put on in the Drake Fieldhouse with college and professional athletes throwing for the entire Drake community. These events aim to engage the campus community in the greater Des Moines area and invite Bulldog fans to interact with the athletes in some of the biggest matchups in sports.
For the 2026 Relays, Sandi Morris and Sam Kendrick will be defending their titles as Relays champions and also on the professional stage as they take on the Jordan Creek pole vaulting stage. The two will also be inducted into the Relays Hall of Fame this year, with a ceremony for them coming during the week of Relays.
The Woodhalls have also elected to return to the Blue Oval in 2026 for the second year in a row. With Tara Woodhall dominating the field in long jump since the 2024 summer Olympics and her husband, Hunter Woodhall, owning the track in the Paralympic 400m dash, the couple aims to thrill Bulldog fans a season closer to the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
Ryan Crouser will also be returning to Bulldog territory with the World Shot Put Series competition for the second year in a row. The challenge sees predetermined marks being the goal of Olympic and World Championship throwers in the Drake Fieldhouse in a survival of the fittest throw-off.
These athletes are just some of the talent taking on the annual event that brings sports fanatics from far and wide to enjoy the week of competition.
The community can also be involved through additions made on Boldon’s half to ensure that all fans can be included in this time of celebration on campus, no matter where they are. The app, along with the annual Relays magazine provide a schedule of events for Bulldog fans, along with live results.
“More than a decade ago, we became the first track and field meet in the U.S. to have our own dedicated app,” Boldon said. “In 2025, we added a family zone on Friday night for the first time ever and the night ended with fireworks, which signaled the start of the student concert.”
For the athletes and Bulldog fans who also want to get involved in the races, the athletic department takes special care in planning community races to provide everyone with a chance to take on the Blue Oval themselves.
“Additionally, the Drake Road Races, Grand Blue Mile and other community-centered events continue on an explosive growth trend, reflecting the community’s response to our commitment to a first-class experience,” Boldon said.
These changes and additions have become notable to the Drake community in creating the Relays atmosphere that Bulldogs have come to know and look forward to annually. The goal of athletics has always been to ensure that those who travel to campus for this Bulldog homecoming experience get to walk away with memories that will last for years to come. These efforts and changes come from a place of preserving the impact of the Relays for Bulldogs far and wide.
“I have wonderful memories of Drake Relays from previous years that always excite me for the next Relays, and my hope is that everyone else will have similar positive experiences with their Drake Relays in 2026,” Hardin said.
The 2026 Drake Relays will have no shortage of opportunities and competition for Bulldog fans to enjoy, no matter what events they are interested in. Fans can check the events starting April 20 at Jordan Creek Mall, before cruising into the rest of the week of events, with the track portion of the events coming April 22-26.
