DES MOINES -- Finishers of the 2019 Drake Road Races half marathon and 10k will enjoy post-race recovery blankets at no additional charge, courtesy of Grinnell Mutual. 

The recovery blankets will help regulate runners' body temperature – hot or cold – after they cross the finish line on the iconic Blue Oval at Drake Stadium Saturday, April 20.  Provided by Grinnell Mutual, these branded wraps will also be valued keepsakes of running in the 51st Drake Road Races.

"It's exciting to get involved with the Drake Road Races this year. It's such an important event in the life of our home state and so highly regarded," said Barb Baker, director of advertising and community relations at Grinnell Mutual. "We take pride in our company wellness efforts and in our community involvement, so being a part of this fits right in with our corporate principles."

"Our team continues to evaluate every aspect of the Drake Road Races to ensure a world-class experience.  Grinnell Mutual shares our commitment to our participants and this new partnership further elevates our event and will improve the comfort of our finishers while celebrating their achievement on the Blue Oval," said Blake Boldon, the Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays.

Grinnell Mutual will also serve as sponsor of the post-race Grinnell Mutual Recovery Zone, where finishers of all three races can refuel, relax, and relive their performances with fellow runners.  Drake Road Races merchandise will also be for sale.  Other partners in the Grinnell Mutual Recovery Zone include Hy-Vee, Iowa Beef, Hiland Dairy, Athletico, and Vero Chiropractic.

The Drake Road Races will serve as the starting line for the Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee, which includes a full week of events for the 110th running of America's Athletic Classic. The date also allows every competitor to be one of the first athletes to cross the finish line on the Blue Oval. 

All finishers of the 5k, 10k and half marathon races receive a commemorative Drake Relays Road Races 51st anniversary finishers medal, a long-sleeved technical shirt and free admission to the Thursday night Distance Carnival at the Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee, plus other exclusive special promotions and benefits.

Registration information is available at DrakeRoadRaces.org. 
 
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About the Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee:
For one week a year, the Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee brings together Iowa's top high school athletes with the best collegiate and professional performers from across the nation and around the world. The Drake Road Races, an iconic event in Des Moines for more than 50 years, serves as the starting line for the weeklong celebration of athletics in Iowa's Capital City.  It is followed by one of the nation's largest 1-mile road races, the Grand Blue Mile, which has hosted the USATF 1-Mile Championship four times since its inception nine years ago. The week concludes inside historic Drake Stadium, where the competition is fierce, the athletes spectacular and the performances legendary. Fans have packed the stands for 109 years, witnessing the fall of 14 world records, 51 American records and 56 national collegiate records and countless feats of athletic excellence. It is this combination of unmatched atmosphere and the spirit of competition that truly makes the Drake Relays "America's Athletic Classic". For more information, visit DrakeRelays.org.
 
About Grinnell Mutual:
Grinnell Mutual, in business since 1909, is the 109th-largest property casualty insurance company in the United States and the largest primary reinsurer of farm mutual companies in North America. Its products are available in 19 states.