Timing is everything and the director of the Drake Relays says it is a plus for his event. Brian Brown says the late April date can help attract world class athletes who are in the early stages of their season and looking for a good test. On Wednesday, Brown announced two-time Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner will return to Drake and run the 200 for the second straight year.
Brown says Drake is at a very good spot that athletes can use as a checkpoint as they ramp up into shape for competition. Brown says that is also why many competitors will run a different race. Wariner has been top ranked in the world in the 400 the past three years.
Brown says athletes don’t want to peak too soon, so athletes like Wariner might run another race to concentrate on speed. He says they want to work on different aspects of their training at different times.
The Drake Relays are April 25th through the 28th.