DES MOINES, Iowa – Track and field schedules around the country have shifted outdoors, heralding another installment of America's Athletic Classic next month. With the 116th Drake Relays around the corner, the Relays has announced the initial crop of Blue Standard presented by Fareway qualifiers, the addition of Elite High School Mile races, and a tentative schedule as of March 17.
 
First included in the Drake Relays schedule in 2023, the elite high school mile will feature some of the sports up-and-coming stars from within Iowa's borders and the surrounding states.
 
"The high school division of the Drake Relays has always been a foundational element of America's Athletic Classic," Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays Blake Boldon said. "The return of the high school mile races is yet another testament to the Drake Relays' commitment to its core principles and historic precedent. The state of Iowa currently boasts some of the premier middle distance prep runners in the country, and what a better venue for them to shine on a global stage than the Blue Oval."
 
The boys and girls 1-mile races will feature loaded fields of 12 athletes on Friday night at Drake Stadium. Runners from Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and South Dakota are eligible to compete.
 
Elite High School Mile Important Notes
Friday night at the Drake Relays will be highlighted by an elite 1-mile run with both boys' and girls' divisions. The girls' race is scheduled for 8:49 p.m. on Friday, April 24 with the boys' heat to follow at 8:56 p.m.
 
Eligibility and Event Limits

• Iowa high school athletes may only compete in four events at the Drake Relays and may not compete in both the mile and 1500/1600.
• Athletes may enter both fields, but if accepted into the elite mile, they will be scratched from the Iowa high school 1500 or 1600 races.
• Field sizes for the Iowa girls' 1500 and boys 1600 will remain at 21 runners, preserving opportunities for additional Iowa athletes.

Who Can Enter?

• The event will include top athletes from Iowa plus invited athletes from other regional states including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
• Out-of-state athletes may only enter the elite boys' or girls' mile and no other events.
• Coaches can submit athlete information here.

Purpose of the Event

• This race aims to highlight Iowa's top athletes racing alongside other standout milers from around the Midwest, elevating competitive opportunities on the Blue Oval.
• This format continues the initiative first launched in 2023 to showcase the best prep athletes from Iowa and surrounding states.

Entry Marks and Accepted Performances

• Due to the mile not being a standard high school event, entry marks will be accepted from the 800, 1500, 1600, 3000, and 3200-meter races.
• Entries will be evaluated using publicly available conversion methods like the World Athletics Scoring Tables.

Verification of Marks

• Any performance from a publicly verifiable competition in 2026 is eligible including sanctioned high school meets, USATF-sanctioned meets, college-hosted contests, and other open meets with verifiable results.

Field Size and Fees

• The target field size is 12 athletes per race, but final field sizes with be determined closer to the Relays to ensure competitive balance.
• The field size will be finalized at the conclusion of entries.
• Accepted entries will be charged a $15 athlete fee.

Sanctioning

• The boys' and girls' mile races will be sanctioned by the NFHS, IHSAA, and IGHSAU.
• Participation will not affect eligibility for Iowa athletes.
• Athletes from outside Iowa's borders should consult their state association to confirm eligibility status.

 
Several Iowa preps have already reached Blue Standard presented by Fareway marks during the early stages of the high school track and field season, including potential elite mile participants.
 
"Iowa high school runners are always impressive, and this season looks to be no different," Boldon continued. "All involved with the Relays extend sincere congratulations to all 20 high school athletes and relays that have already secured their spot at the 116th Drake Relays."
 
High school athletes who record a Blue Standard in the weeks ahead are encouraged to share their remarkable achievement on social media mentioning @DrakeRelays and using the hashtag #BlueOvalBound.
 
The following list of Blue Standard qualifiers is based upon results from events through Sunday, March 15, as reported to the state leaderboard at GoBound.com/IA. The predetermined Blue Standard qualification standards do not change the entry process or field sizes for high school events.
 
The Blue Standards presented by Fareway were set by the Drake Relays committee based on historical data from the top 25 percent of accepted entries from past Drake Relays. For teams and athletes that do not attain a Blue Standard, the fields will be filled through the same protocol used in previous years and outlined in the Iowa High School Entry Information Packet. The Drake Relays committee and everyone associated with the Drake Relays congratulates the following athletes that have already punched their ticket to the Blue Oval.
 
Girls Blue Standard Qualifiers
3000 (10:13.00)
Izzy Hardin, Maquoketa (9:59.91)
Chloe Glosser, Pekin (10:00.64)
Marissa Ferebee, Pella (10:02.16)
4x100 (50.50)
Southeast Polk (48.87)
Valley (49.98)
4x200 (1:44.50)
Southeast Polk (1:44.03)
4x400 (4:01.50)
Cedar Falls (4:00.78)
800 Medley (1:49.00)
Pella Chrsitian (1:47.49)
Long Jump (18-0)
Aiden Gosselink, Grinnell (18-1.75)
Shot Put (42-0)
Delilah Subsin, Ottumwa (47-4.25)
Anna Hadley, Pekin (42-4)
 
Boys Blue Standard Qualifiers
1600 (4:15.00)
Quentin Nauman, Western Dubuque (4:03.65)
Keegan Decker, Iowa City Liberty (4:04.33)
3200 (9:15.00
AJ Willey, Bettendorf (9:08.52)
110 Hurdles (14.50)
Darien Walker, Dallas Center-Grimes (14.49)
High Jump (6-7)
Logan Atherton, Norwalk (6-8)
Ajak Malual, Waukee (6-7)
Shot Put (56-0)
Greyson Hartman, Washington (65-2.25)
Morgan Cooley, East Union (59-11)
Shem Mally, Cedar Rapids Kennedy (57-4.25)
Max Nevitt, Algona (56-3.75)
 
Blue Standard Important Notes

• Coaches are still required to enter the athlete(s)/relay that achieve a Blue Standard in the event on Varsity Bound Meets before the entry deadline.
• Achieving the Blue Standard in an event guarantees acceptance only when the coach enters the athlete/relay in the event. 
• Should four or more athletes from one team meet the standard in the same event, it is up to the coach to determine which three athletes will be entered.
• Individuals/Relays do NOT need to meet this standard to qualify for the Drake Relays. 

The Drake Relays has also announced its initial schedule of events for the upcoming 2026 edition. While subject to change, the entire schedule for the 116th Drake Relays can be found here.
All-session tickets and select ticket packages are available for purchase here.