The 2025 Penn Relays hosted at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia provided viewers with what it’s renowned for: fast times, deep competition, and an atmosphere that causes you to appreciate why people remain enamored of track and field. It’s not driven by halftime shows or marketing crazes; it’s built by impressive performances, which makes it so special.
What also makes Penn Relays so exciting is its history. The meet has happened every year since 1895, making it one of the oldest and most respected meets in the country. Penn Relays is traditionally where the US’s best runners take on the world’s best talents. In 2010, future sprinting legends Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake ran the 4×100 together at Penn Relays before they won gold at the 2012 London Olympics only two years later. Other track and field legends like Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens participated in Penn Relays before their Olympic superstardom. Generations of athletes have raced on Franklin Field’s surface, and for many high schoolers, it’s their first big meet. There’s a weight to walking through the tunnel, hearing the crowd, and knowing that what you do here becomes part of a memory remembered on the track.
One of this season’s highlights was the 4×400-meter boys’ relay squad from Bullis School. They ran 3:06.31, officially the fastest high school 4×4 U.S. performance in history. Despite the record-setting relay, they didn’t run the fastest time of the day; the Jamaican powerhouse Kingston College did, but much of Penn’s appeal is in this kind of competition. The best of the U.S. ranks lines up against the world’s best, and everyone leaves everything on the track. Rising star Quincy Wilson pinned down Bullis with a 44.3 split, a meet record for the fastest split at only 16 years old.
That kind of performance doesn’t happen without pressure, a crowd or a setting that demands your best. That’s what the Penn Relays create: a space where high schoolers rise to the moment. Penn Relays is where the hidden stars begin to shine and display their skills on a larger scale. It’s rare in youth sports to see something that feels this serious, this earned, and yet still grounded in school pride and team culture.
Another standout was Ridgefield High School’s boys’ distance medley team. They finished second in the aggregate in a strong field, at 10:01. That’s not just fast for Connecticut—it’s fast for the nation. Soheib Dissa of Newtown also ran 4:13 in the mile championship, finishing fourth. Neither of these efforts made the national news, but they matter. They show that great track performances aren’t limited to certain states or schools. When we think of where track and field stars come from, we think of states like Texas and California, where most powerhouse teams are from. However, it is important to remember that great track athletes can come from any school, any background,
Penn’s stadium, Franklin Field, also deserves credit. In its environment, the audience gets the sport, reacts to splits, and adds to each heat with electricity. When international runners take the track, it is electric. When an American squad is fighting to close the gap, the audience clings to every step. The audience brings a level of energy that isn’t seen at many track meets, making every step a runner takes the impact of every fan in the 50,000-person stadium cheering them on.
Beyond just the action, the meet serves as an annual reunion. Coaches, alumni, and old teammates return year after year, passing on stories and traditions. College scouts lean against the rail, athletes swap uniforms after races, and the infield buzzes with life. This spectator side of the sport, the part less televised, gives Penn its vigor in its physical environment.
One shortcoming of the Penn Relays is access. FloSports had the broadcast once again, and while the coverage was excellent, the paywall kept the event from being viewed by potential new fans. This paywall is extremely disappointing, especially considering how much effort these athletes put into their time on the track. The sport needs exposure; this meet should be an opening, not a gate.
However, the 2025 Penn Relays did not let anyone down. It gave the collegiate and high school runners a real platform. Events like Penn Relays remind everyone that the sport does not need amendment, it just needs attention and better availability for fans.
