HyVee is now sponsoring the Drake Relays.
Hy-Vee has agreed to become the presenting sponsor of the Drake Relays and the money that comes with it will allow the event to set a new standard for prize money offered at a U.S. track meet.
Drake Relays director Brian Brown says there has never before been a $50,000 purse for a race on U.S. soil, with $25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second and $10,000 for third place.
He says they want to create as many rematches from the London Olympics as they can.
Brown says one of the rematches from the London Olympics will be in the men’s 400 meter dash, which will include Oscar Pistorius, who is known as the “Blade Runner’ because of his prosthetic legs.
Brown says there will also be $120,000 of prize money offered for the road races which are being expanded and moved back a day. “this is a game changer, this is not the Drake Relays like it has always been,” Brown says. He says on Sunday they will have a 6K road race, a 10K road race and a half marathon that will all finish in Drake Stadium.