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Elite High School Boys and Girls Mile Entry
2026 Drake Relays Header         Schedule Interactive Button           Entry Packet Interactive Button           Parent Waiver Interactive Button          Meet Packet Interactive Button
 
Accepted Entries (TBD)
Boys
Girls 

Entry deadline for this event is 8 a.m. on April 17th. Unofficial entries will be posted on this page at 1:00 p.m. that same day. Final list of entries will be posted on this page at 8:00 p.m. Friday, April 17th on this page.

Entry fee for this event will be $15 per accepted athlete. Checks should be sent to:

                                                                                       Drake Relays
                                                                                       Attn: Tre Stanton
                                                                                       1421 27th St.  
                                                                                       Des Moines, IA 50311

Only times from this year, Jan 1st, 2023, to the entry deadline will be accepted for entry.
Proof of results can be submitted in the entry form or sent to Tre.Stanton@drake.edu for verification.

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 addition 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.