Runners and racegoers alike agree that Saturday felt like Saturday again at the Penn Relays

As the Saturday morning high school session of last weekend’s Penn Relays began, a group of family members decked out from head to toe in Jamaican flag-themed clothing packed together as close as possible to the infield, waiting to explode.

As the gun fired, the family went ballistic.

“That’s my boy!” one woman in the group screamed as the first round of runners in a 4x400 relay turned the corner and prepared to hand their batons off.

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One of the biggest events in track and field, the Penn Relays is the only event in the country that hosts high school, college, and professional talent in the same venue over the same weekend. This year’s Relays featured the expansion of a partnership with World Athletics, the governing body of global track and field, which helped bring some of the sport’s biggest names to Philadelphia.

“It’s realistically pretty much how any other track meet is run but just amplified times 100,” said Aahsean Jackson, a coach at Eagle Academy for Young Men of Newark (N.J.). “You have people from all over coming to one place. It’s exciting. It’s real thrilling.”

It’s more than just the running — it’s the experience. Outside the main infield of Franklin Field sat Carnival Village, an area complete with food trucks, vendors, games, and giveaways. Most racers opted to spend the rest of the event in the village once they finished their events.

The village lawn was filled with youthful exuberance — snow cones, funnel cakes, and an impromptu dance-off circle formed in the middle of the lawn between a group of runners that drew a crowd of kids looking on.

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Saturday, the biggest and most prolific day of the event, brought fireworks. High school students competed during the morning session, while college and Olympic development stars kicked off later in the afternoon. Among those stars was Olympic gold medalist Bryce Deadmon, who captured first place in the men’s 4x400 relay three years ago at the Tokyo Olympics. He entered the weekend ranked among the top 10 in the world in the 400.

Competing in the same event as one of the sport’s megastars wasn’t lost on any high school athletes, especially Zion Mack, a sophomore at Eagle Academy. Mack, who had never competed in front of so many people, noted that part of it was nerve-racking but “makes you that much more excited.”

“It’s cool, man,” said Mack. “It’s different too, definitely different. It feels a little weird with all the people watching, but it went well. Better than last year, that’s for sure.”

Last year, Mack was a freshman. The 2023 Penn Relays were overwhelming, and the moment got to him. But this year he and his coaches were focused on staying present, regardless of the star power around them.

“I feel like [events] like this help me to be a better coach and stay on top of things,” said Jackson, his coach. “When I was an athlete, I also ran here, same events as [Mack], so it’s just really exciting to see it from a different perspective.”

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Some fans have made the Relays a yearly tradition. For Bruce Williams, the event has been a staple in his life for over 50 years.

“I’m 76, and I’ve been coming since I was about 16,” Williams said. “I’ve coached for over 50 years, I’ve coached all levels, high schools, internationals, all that. And [to me] this is still the biggest track meet in the world. More people run at the Penn Relays over a three-day period than any place, including the Olympics.”

Few people know the ins and outs of track and field like Williams. He was born and raised in New Jersey’s track and field scene. He was named the coach of the year in 2004 by the National Youth Track Coaches Association. He still wears the ring he was given for the honor daily.

So much has changed over the years. One thing that hasn’t?

“You can sit on the bleachers at Franklin Field all day and watch hours of good, competitive, and entertaining track and field,” Williams said.

He added: “There is nothing like it. The spectacle of having as many races in a three-day weekend and the precision that goes into putting on an event of this style. We used to use Polaroid film on a string for every race before technology came in. It’s a lot different now, but it’s always been run so efficiently.”