The annual Iowa Games sports festival begins today with the torch run in downtown Des Moines. Jim Hallihan is the executive director of the event. Olympic gold medal wrestler Rulon Gardner will be there and then the torch run will take off for Ames.Hallihan says they’ll then have the lighting of the torch and opening ceremonies at Jack Trice Stadium. He says there’s a potential for a record setting number of athletes. He says about a week ago they were one-thousand ahead of last year’s sign up.Hallihan says the weather is again going to be a big factor this year, as it’s been hot and it’s going to be hot. Hallihan says he hopes the athletes have been working out in the heat and can handle it. He says last year there wasn’t a day about 80, and this year there may not be one below 90, but he says that’s better than rainstorms. Hallihan says warm temperatures are nothing new as it’s always hot this time of year. The games run this weekend and then again next weekend.
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