DES MOINES, Iowa — The 111th Drake Relays have officially been postponed to April 2021.
The Relays were first postponed March 18 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Since that time, staff has worked with local public health officials to "explore and plan" for the potential of a 2020 event. However, with cases continuing to rise, the decision was made to postpone the event to April 21-24, 2021.
“The Drake Relays presented by Xtream has been known as America’s Athletic Classic since the first half of the last century,” Blake Boldon, Director of the Drake Relays, said in a statement. “Our event is known around the world as a week-long celebration of athletic achievement, featuring thousands of athletes and tens of thousands of spectators. It has become clear that current circumstances will not allow us to safely host an event that meets the standard set over the last 11 decades. While exploring every option, the safety of athletes, officials, spectators and our entire community has remained our highest priority.”
In addition to the postponement of the Drake Relays, Boldon announced that the Grand Blue Mile and Drake Road Races will be contested as virtual events in September and October.
The virtual Drake Road Races may be completed Sept. 27-Oct. 8, with competitors submitting their performances to a virtual leaderboard. Grand Blue Mile competitors can complete their mile Sept. 29-Oct. 8.
Virtual registrations are still available at DrakeRoadRaces.org and GrandBlueMile.com.
A limited number of additional registrations remain for those who wish to complete the 2020 Bulldog Double. Entrants who wish to defer their Drake Road Races registration to 2021 may do so for a small fee.