As I mentioned back when I first started this blog, I'm approaching it somewhat like the quest journal of a video game. Well, sometimes in my favorite games, there are quests that I can't undertake alone; sometimes things are just simply inaccessible to me. That's when I have to rely on one of my companions for assistance. Whether they build a bridge, lend me a horse, or just act as my bodyguard on the mission, it's always good to have friends.
Today's blog post is crafted with the help of one of my real life "NPCs." My former coworker Sheila was kind enough to take some pictures of a couple of markers and their subjects down in Philadelphia and send them to me.
To be perfectly honest, I'd never heard of the Penn Relays until she sent me these photos. I joke with my friends that if you see me running, you should run too because something's probably chasing me. But I have all the respect in the world for people with athletic ability, since I have next to none, and so this marker attracted my curiosity.
Also known as the Penn Relay Carnival, this annual event is nothing less and nothing more than the largest track and field competition in the United States. It's been hosted by the University of Pennsylvania every year since 1895 at Franklin Field, which was built that same spring. The university's track committee chairman, Frank Ellis, wanted to inaugurate the new facility with something special, and since relay running had just been invented two years earlier, he came up with the idea to host an event of that nature. Nine races were organized on April 21st, four for high school students and five for college students, with two teams participating in each. A crowd of around 5,000 watched as Harvard University ultimately emerged as the victor, defeating Penn in the college championship race.
Well, this was so much fun that they had to do it again next year. Many more schools were eager to participate in the second Penn Relay, prompting officials to add more races and also instill rules about scheduling and punctuality. By 1910, they started calling it the Penn Relay Carnival, because the presence of a large circus-like tent gave the whole thing something of a carnival atmosphere. That same year, the Relay Racing Code was created and implemented. The 1912 Olympics introduced relay zones and the use of a lightweight aluminum baton as part of the event (previously, relay runners had touched hands), and these changes were added to the Penn Relays the following year.
The Penn Relays continued to grow and change. It first became an international event in 1914, when representatives from Oxford College traveled from London to participate. In 1915, so many more competitions were added that it stretched the event into two days instead of just one. In 1925, winners began to receive awards featuring a design created by renowned sculptor Dr. R. Tait McKenzie, who was then teaching at the University of Pennsylvania; it features Benjamin Franklin, for whom Franklin Field is named, holding a laurel branch and greeting a group of four runners. This is still the emblem of the Penn Relays to this day.
As the Relays grew, so did their number of spectators. In 1956, the crowd exceeded 35,000, and that number has only gotten bigger as time has passed. In 1962, women were finally allowed to compete; by 1978, so many women's events had been added to the lineup that it became necessary to stretch the Penn Relays into three days. Today the festivities encompass a full week, ending each year on the last Saturday in April, although it's the last three days of the week which are the big draw. In 2010, the Penn Relays featured a special "USA vs. the World" program, which broke all of its previous attendance records; American teams took on several of the world's most recognized runners, including the legendary Olympian (and Penn Relays alumnus) Usain Bolt.
Being an internationally recognized athletic competition, it's not really surprising that many participants have gone on to become Olympic medalists. Along with Usain Bolt, these include Pennsylvania native Jim Thorpe, whose skill in the 1912 Olympics prompted Sweden's King Gustav to declare him "the greatest athlete in the world," and Lord David Burghley, later the sixth Marquess of Exeter, who took the gold in 1928 for the 400 meter hurdles. However, I was surprised to learn of some other past participants - astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Senator Bernie Sanders, and rapper Sean "P. Diddy" Combs are all Penn Relays alumni.
The big excitement at Franklin Field these days is the upcoming 2019 Penn Relays, which will celebrate the 125th annual competition. Of course they want to make it the biggest and best one yet, and they're reaching out to the community for stories of how the Penn Relays have impacted individuals. If you've got a story about the event - you or a loved one competed, or you attend it every year, or something important happened in your life while you were in the crowd - they want to hear from you. Go fill out this form, and your story might be featured! Don't have a memory to share? Maybe 2019 is the year to go to the Penn Relays and make one.
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| The marker is found at the northwest corner of Franklin Field, 233 South 33rd Street; photograph courtesy of Sheila Clever |
Also known as the Penn Relay Carnival, this annual event is nothing less and nothing more than the largest track and field competition in the United States. It's been hosted by the University of Pennsylvania every year since 1895 at Franklin Field, which was built that same spring. The university's track committee chairman, Frank Ellis, wanted to inaugurate the new facility with something special, and since relay running had just been invented two years earlier, he came up with the idea to host an event of that nature. Nine races were organized on April 21st, four for high school students and five for college students, with two teams participating in each. A crowd of around 5,000 watched as Harvard University ultimately emerged as the victor, defeating Penn in the college championship race.
 |
| Part of Franklin Field's stadium from across the street; photograph courtesy of Sheila Clever |
As the Relays grew, so did their number of spectators. In 1956, the crowd exceeded 35,000, and that number has only gotten bigger as time has passed. In 1962, women were finally allowed to compete; by 1978, so many women's events had been added to the lineup that it became necessary to stretch the Penn Relays into three days. Today the festivities encompass a full week, ending each year on the last Saturday in April, although it's the last three days of the week which are the big draw. In 2010, the Penn Relays featured a special "USA vs. the World" program, which broke all of its previous attendance records; American teams took on several of the world's most recognized runners, including the legendary Olympian (and Penn Relays alumnus) Usain Bolt.
Being an internationally recognized athletic competition, it's not really surprising that many participants have gone on to become Olympic medalists. Along with Usain Bolt, these include Pennsylvania native Jim Thorpe, whose skill in the 1912 Olympics prompted Sweden's King Gustav to declare him "the greatest athlete in the world," and Lord David Burghley, later the sixth Marquess of Exeter, who took the gold in 1928 for the 400 meter hurdles. However, I was surprised to learn of some other past participants - astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Senator Bernie Sanders, and rapper Sean "P. Diddy" Combs are all Penn Relays alumni.
The big excitement at Franklin Field these days is the upcoming 2019 Penn Relays, which will celebrate the 125th annual competition. Of course they want to make it the biggest and best one yet, and they're reaching out to the community for stories of how the Penn Relays have impacted individuals. If you've got a story about the event - you or a loved one competed, or you attend it every year, or something important happened in your life while you were in the crowd - they want to hear from you. Go fill out this form, and your story might be featured! Don't have a memory to share? Maybe 2019 is the year to go to the Penn Relays and make one.
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| Photo courtesy of Sheila Clever |
Sources and Further Reading:
Official website of the Penn Relays
Schedule and results of the most recent Penn Relays
The Penn Relays on Facebook
The Penn Relays on Instagram
The Penn Relays on Twitter
The Penn Relays at the Historical Marker Database
Schedule and results of the most recent Penn Relays
The Penn Relays on Facebook
The Penn Relays on Instagram
The Penn Relays on Twitter
The Penn Relays at the Historical Marker Database
If you've enjoyed this, please leave a comment!
Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.
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