If you take your time on your walk over to David Rittenhouse Laboratory, you may have noticed a historical marker right outside Franklin Field. However, you probably walked right by it without a care in the world.
But you should care.
The Penn Relay Carnival is one of the most storied and revered events in the track and field world. Founded in 1895, it has remained a constant in the track and field schedule and attracts competitors from all levels — ranging from high schoolers to Olympians. The 2025 Penn Relays will take place on April 24-26 and could attract over 100,000 spectators from around the world over the course of three days of competition.
You, too, should be one of the thousands cramming yourself into a seat at Franklin Field. Rain or shine, Penn Relays is a must-see event. The energy is infectious, with thousands of supporters crammed on the bleachers to witness greatness. Seeing a filled Franklin Field should be on everyone’s bucket list.
I understand the trepidation. I can already hear you saying, “Oh, I don’t like track and field,” or “I don’t really know what’s going on.” Look no further, I’ve got all the answers to your questions.
Who even competes?
In short, everyone.
High schools from all over the country compete. It’s not just schools in the Philadelphia metropolitan area; it’s also schools as far as Colorado and Florida, including the sports powerhouse IMG Academy. There are even teams coming all the way from Jamaica to compete.
I know most college students scoff at the idea of spending their time watching high schoolers run, but you can truly see some of the next great track stars there. Take last year, for example. While you were pretending to do work in Pret A Manger, Quincy Wilson ran a 44.37 split in the 400-meter race, catching national attention just a few months before he made headlines in his Olympics debut.
There are also several college teams that come to compete at Penn Relays on their quest to hoist the Toyota Wheel. Of course, this includes your very own Red and Blue. Some names and performances to look out for include junior thrower Angeludi Asaah, who broke the school record for shot put with a posted score of 16.52m at the Transatlantic Series, and junior high jumper Kamptom Kam, who broke the Singapore national record for the high jump with a height of 2.25m. On the track, junior hurdler Shane Gardner holds the school record for the 110m hurdles with a time of 13.68, and sophomore sprinter Ryan Matulonis is one of Penn’s fastest competing in the 400m race.
The Olympic Development events are also must-see moments as professional athletes take to the track. Throughout the years, all-time greats, including Usain Bolt and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, have run around Franklin Field.
But you can’t forget about the most unique event to Penn Relays: the Masters events. These are events for adult competitors and are divided by age groups, with some for 50-year-olds and others for participants ages 80 and older. They run everything from the 5-kilometer racewalk to the 100m dash. Where else will you see everyone from 14-year-olds to 90-year-olds run 100 meters?
When are the events?
Penn Relays takes place over the course of three days from April 24-26. The events run all day starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday and Friday and 7 a.m. on Saturday. On Thursday, the college men’s 10,000m race will start as late as 10:30 p.m. Friday’s last event is scheduled for 9:00 p.m., and Saturday’s is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. However, these scheduled times and are subject to changes or delays on competition day. The full and updated schedule can be found here.
The bulk of Thursday’s events will feature high school events and participants. The day will also feature some Masters events, including the 4x100m relay, as well as some collegiate championship events. The night will conclude with the college women’s and men’s 10,000m races.
Friday — On Day — continues with high school and college events. Saturday — Toyota Day — will conclude with most championship races. The Olympic Development events will also take place on Saturday.
What’s all this about the United States vs. Jamaica?
Be prepared to see a lot of green, black, and yellow during Penn Relays.
Throughout the history of Penn Relays, Jamaica has had a dominant presence across the high school events, sending multiple schools that have a winning pedigree. Their win streak has been consistent, often sweeping the Championships of America events when competing. They are perennial powerhouses in events like the 4x100m, 4x400m, and 4x800m relays.
Penn Relays attracts thousands of fervent Jamaican supporters every year. It’s electrifying to hear them cheer on their athletes together as they swerve and bend that corner towards the finish line. The pandemonium is one you need to be a part of and witness at least once.
How do I get in?
Currently, student tickets to Penn Relays are free on Thursday and Friday with a valid PennCard. Student tickets for Saturday are available at Franklin Field on the day of and are $10. Penn faculty and staff are also eligible for free or discounted tickets depending on the day. Tickets for members of the public start at $26 for general admission for Thursday and Friday. However, ticket prices increase for Saturday and most of the seats become designated as reserved seating except in the upper level.
For the whole weekend, the seats by the finish line are reserved and are in a higher tier of pricing.
Should I go?
Look, I’ll be the first to admit that the thought of buying a ticket is not very appealing to Penn students, especially given that it comes with a substantial cost for a sporting event on our campus. And I get it, most of you don’t keep up with track and field. But you’re just a short walk away from one of the biggest annual track events in the world. Penn Relays happens rain or shine and has existed for over a century.
It’s a piece of history — and I think that it’s worth it to be part of that at least once.
KRISTEL RAMBAUD is a senior and a Daily Pennsylvanian senior sports reporter from Monroe, N.J. studying nursing. All comments should be directed to dpsports@thedp.com.
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