Sam Burley called the Franklin Field track home for four years, but he might find it a tad strange when he hits the red track during the Penn Relays this weekend.
Instead of donning Red and Blue in the college events earlier in the weekend, the 2003 graduate and former Penn Track star will be running in the Distance Medley Relay this Saturday. Burley will compete on one of the American teams in the USA vs. the World competition, which consists of six races that will pit the world's best runners against each other and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
The starting gun will go off for Burley's race at 2:15, but the hometown star is hardly the only intriguing storyline of the USA vs. the World throwdown.
With a lineup of squads that spans the globe - from Germany to the Bahamas to Kenya on the men's side, and Chinese and Russian teams on the women's - there will be no shortage of national pride throughout the Relays.
And, of course, there is always the allure of prize money to kick up the octane of a big track meet.
According to Brian Brase, USA Track and Field's director of events and broadcasting, the races will offer "significant" cash prizes in addition to a chance to qualify for this year's International Association of Athletics Federations world championships.
But the USA vs. the World competition hasn't become the marquee of the Penn Relays because of what's at stake in dollars - the draw lies in its star power.
While Jamaica's Asafa Powell, the world record holder in the 100-meter dash, has scratched, even the most casual track fans should be able to recognize a few of the names in this year's lineup.
For the U.S., Arkansas graduates Tyson Gay and Wallace Spearmon will each return to the 4x100m relay this year. Joining them will be Shawn Crawford, who may be as well-known for his two medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics as his venture into reality television - he raced against various wild animals on FOX's Man vs. Beast in 2003.
In the men's 4x400, the Dominican Republic's Felix Sanchez may be the most heralded runner. Sanchez won the D.R.'s first Olympic gold medal ever when he took the prize in the 400m hurdles in 2004.
And when it comes to the women's events, the big names lie in the 4x100 relay, where Olympians Allyson Felix and Lauryn Williams will compete.
Felix won silver in Athens in 2004 at just 18 years old, and is still considered one of the world's up-and-coming young stars. Williams was one of the headliners of the women's team in Athens, where she also brought home a silver medal.
In the 4x400m, the entire gold medal-winning squad from the 2004 Games - DeeDee Trotter, Monique Henderson, Monique Hennagan and Sanya Richards - will reunite and compete for one of the U.S. teams.
So whether you've got Red and Blue fever or you have a hankering for a "Who's Who" of international superstars, there's only one prescription - USA vs. the World.
