The former long-time director of the Drake Relays has died. Bob Ehrhart served as meet director for 31 years before retiring in 2000. He died of cancer at his home in West Des Moines on Sunday. Drake associate athletic director Mark Kostek says Erhart was the epitome of what a meet director should be and worked hard at developing an auro around the Drake Relays that made everybody feel special.
Kostek took over as director following Ehrhart’s retirenment. He first met Ehrhart while competing at Drake as a freshman javelin thrower for Kansas. Kostek says he contacted Ehrhart when he got the opportunity to run tracke meets in Nebraska so he could get advice from the best.
Kostek says it was Erhart’s ability to build relationships with coaches and athletes across the country that has kept the Drake Relays strong. He says Erhart was about relationships and he expects an outpouring of support as people learn of his death.
Brian Brown is the current director of the event and says Ehrhart never viewd the Drake Relays as his event. Brown says Ehrhart though embraced others and empowered them to be the best. Brown says Erhart set a high standard for the job. Brown says it makes him take his role even more seriously because of that legacy.