DES MOINES, Iowa – Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays Blake Boldon has been selected to serve as the Men's Head Manager on USATF's World Athletics U20 Championship staff.
 
Boldon brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Team USA staff, having served as Event Manager at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest Hungary and at the 2022 NACAC Championships in Freeport, Bahamas, in addition to serving as the men's coach for Team USA at the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia. Boldon is currently in his fourth year as the chair of Men's Long Distance Running for USATF and is concluding his four-year term on the NCAA Track and Field and Cross Country Committee. 
 
In his eight years as Director of the Drake Relays, Boldon has maintained many generations-old traditions while expanding event offerings and growing the event. In addition to becoming a cornerstone of the World Athletics Continental Tour in the United States, under Boldon's leadership, the Drake Relays have advanced their inclusivity efforts through partnerships with the USOPC, Special Olympics Iowa, and Adaptive Sports Iowa. He also boldly led the Relays through the global pandemic by successfully hosting the Blue Oval Showcase in August of 2020, one of just a few World Athletic Continental Tour events globally that season.
 
"I am honored to have the chance to continue to serve and contribute to Team USA's success at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships," Boldon said. "I take pride in representing our country and look forward to helping the next generation of America's top athletes in Peru later this month."
 
The 2024 World Athletics Under 20 Championships will be held in Lima, Peru from August 27-31.
 
For those interested in learning more, Boldon will be leading a session for OLLI at Drake titled "Behind the Scenes of Team USA: Post Paris Future Stars" on Monday, October 28. 
 
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