A metal signpost with yellow letters, erected by the state of Pennsylvania, resides outside of Franklin Field.
The sign does not recount the glory days of Penn football or coach John Heisman. It is not a testament to the toast tossed onto Franklin Field during football games nor does it provide the words to the Red and Blue. The sign tells the passersby that the Penn Relay Carnival has occurred at Franklin Field every year since 1895.
The Penn Relays are America's largest amateur track contest as well as the oldest and largest track meet in the world.
"Anybody who doesn't get motivated to run at the Penn Relays needs to get out of track and field," Arkansas coach John McDonnell said. "That's the mecca of track and field, and I hope it stays that way."
Perhaps the most imposing demonstration of the talent competing at the Relays is the fact that Relays participants have won gold medals at every modern summer Olympics, with the exception of the 1980 Moscow Games, which the U.S. boycotted. In 2004, 23 Relays alumni took home gold in Athens.
Originally conceived as an effort to fan the flames of what was perceived as the dying ember of interest in track and field, the first meet drew 5,000 fans. That was the largest crowd for a Philadelphia track meet up to that time.
In 1895, four high schools, four colleges, and 72 athletes participated in nine events and a collegiate championship. It is a far cry from the 924 high schools and 241 colleges that will participate in the carnival this weekend.
Last year, the Penn Relays set an attendance record when 112,701 took in action over three days.
The Relays have been in a constant state of evolution. Post-collegiate events were added to the Relays in 1956 and women were first given the opportunity to display their talent in 1962.
Jim Tuppeny, the former director of the Penn Relays, instituted other advancements such as the use of automatic timers and the expansion of the Relays into a three-day event.
The one major change in recent years is the inclusion of USA vs. the World style of competition for Olympic development events. Current director Dave Johnson instituted this change in 2000.
This year 336 competitive events have been organized and Franklin Field is expected to draw nearly 50,000 fans on Saturday, a tremendous achievement for an event that was intended to uplift a dying sport.
