The Drake University men's and women's track teams are set to host the 41st annual Jim Duncan Invitational this weekend, April 14-15, at Drake Stadium on the newly renovated Jim Duncan Track.
 
In their first competition on the new Blue Oval the Bulldogs will face competitors from 21 different schools including Missouri Valley Conference rival, UNI. The competition will also feature athletes from central Iowa high schools
 
The Jim Duncan Invitational starts Friday evening with field events beginning at 3:30 p.m., followed by collegiate distance races starting at 5 p.m.
 
The invitational resumes Saturday morning with boys' and girls' field events at 8:30 a.m., while running events being at 9 a.m.
 
The Bulldogs return to competition following a week off after a strong start to the outdoor season with meets at Arkansas, Texas, Texas State as well as competitions in California and Iowa. To date the season, the Bulldogs have recorded 22 performances this season that rank in the top-10 in the Missouri Valley Conference and five that rank in the top 50 in the NCAA West Region.
 
The Jim Duncan Invitational will also be the competitive debut for the new Jim Duncan Track. During the summer, the iconic Blue Oval received a new Mondo Super X surface, guaranteeing that the Jim Duncan Track remains a world-class competitive venue for years to come. The new track, which bears the familiar blue hue of its predecessor, is the same surface that the 2012 London Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics were contested on. The prefabricated synthetic rubber surface is composed of two layers vulcanized together to produce a seamless surface.  Designed to produce superior athletic performance, the Mondo track surface provides the optimum blend of energy return and comfort for both sprint and distance events and guarantees an ideal combination of shock absorption and elasticity for jumpers.
 
Following this weekend's Jim Duncan Invitational, the Bulldogs will compete at Iowa MUSCO Twilight next weekend in their final tune-up prior to hosting the Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee April 26-29.