The Penn Relays Are One of the Best Events of Philly Sports History.
If you are looking for the Penn Relays, you probably know that is always the last Saturday in April but is not always the last full weekend in April. This year marks 128 years that the event has been running annually.
Many things have changed and evolved over the years. The fact that the Penn Relays are the still the largest and oldest track and field competition in the US attracting runners from all over the world, has not.
First developing as an idea at the University of Pennsylvania in 1893 and first held in 1895, this year was also the first that Franklin Field opened, as the Penn Relay Carnival. It contained the nation’s first scoreboard. By the year 2012, the Penn Relays had over 115 events.
This years event, which concluded on Saturday has included over 15,000 contestants and 10,000 spectators.
Among the strong finishers was the St. Joseph’s Track and Field Team who finished the weekend with nearly a dozen top-8 finishes in various events.