The first Penn Relays was held on April 21, 1895, but the origin goes back to 1893. When the University Track Committee, chaired by Frank B. Ellis, Class of 1893, looked for ways of adding interest to their spring handicap meet that year, they struck on the idea of a relay: four men each running a quarter mile in succession. The idea created enough interest that a team from Princeton was invited to contest the event. Penn lost to Princeton by eight yards. The following year Penn exacted its revenge.

Interest in the first two years’ races was such that the committee decided to sponsor a relay meet in 1895 with hopes of reviving sagging interest in Penn track. The first Penn Relays also served as the dedication for Franklin Field. Held on April 21, 1895, it was a smash success. The meet drew an attendance of approximately 5,000, the largest track and field crowd to date in Philadelphia and one of the largest ever in America. The first team to win a Penn Relays championship was Harvard University men’s team, defeating Penn in the 4x440 relay. Relays at varying distances were added in the years following, as well as non-relay track and field events, from sprints and hurdles to several field events.

The festive atmosphere provided by the tent camp was responsible for the term “Carnival,” which was officially adopted as part of the meet’s name in 1910. Today, the carnival atmosphere still exists, both inside Franklin Field and the surrounding Carnival Village, and outside on the nearby streets.

Expansion marked the first two decades of the Carnival, and in 1911, 10 years before the first NCAA championship meet, each college and high school championship event became known as the “Championship of America.” Until the NCAA conducted its first national championship track and field meet in 1921, the Penn Relays was generally recognized as the only meet that brought together contestants from every part of the country.

In 1914, the Relays became an international event when Oxford University crossed the Atlantic to compete. The annual event has become the longest-running track and field event in the history of the sport. The Relays was the first successful invitational track meet that welcomed all races and all schools from the outset and without interruption, and it was the first invitational track meet with separate divisions for colleges, preps and high schools to show any degree of success and continuity. Within five years of its start, the Relays had added junior high school events as well as individual events, which included several of the great post-collegiate stars of the sport. In the modern era of the Relays, each year over 15,000 male and female athletes compete in high school, college, Olympic development and professional races. Across the three days of competition, over 110,000 fans travel to Franklin Field to watch the action. The Penn Relays have become a marquee event in Caribbean culture, which was further intensified in 2000 with the first USA vs. the World race. This race has become a fan favorite on Day 3 of competition, allowing spectators to see some of the best runners in the world compete.

For more details on the 125 year history of The Penn Relays, visit https://pennrelays.com/sports/2018/11/2/about-the-relays.aspx

Ticket Information: This year’s Relays will be held April 25-27. For faculty and staff: On Thursday, get one free ticket with valid PennCard, or two if participating in Bring your Child to Work Day. On Friday and Saturday, get 50% off race day prices with a valid PennCard. Offers only redeemable in person at the Franklin Field Ticket Office.

Tickets for Penn students are free Thursday and Friday with a PennCard, $6 in advance on Saturday and $10 at the gate. Student tickets can be purchased in advance through the Penn Student Ticket Portal.