ATLANTA - September 11, 2019 -- America's Marathon Weekend will kick-off with a high school track and field meet, highlighting metro-Atlanta's Olympic future the evening before the first members of the 2020 U.S. Olympic team are selected.
Atlanta Track Club in partnership with Pope High School and Starr's Mill High School, announced The Atlanta Relays today, which will be held Friday, February 28 at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta. The meet is the first in a series of initiatives intended to engage the high school track and field community in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon in downtown Atlanta on Saturday, February 29.
The Atlanta Relays, directed by the coaching staffs from Pope High School and Starr's Mill, will also feature three showcase events in downtown Atlanta; a 4x1 Mile relay to be contested on the Trials course Saturday morning as well as an indoor shot put and high jump inside the America's Marathon Weekend Experience at the Georgia World Congress Center. "We are taking the best of the Coaches Invitational, great relays, great competition, and a great venue and bringing that to The Atlanta Relays," shared Cathi Monk, Head Coach of Pope XC and Track & Field. "We are excited about partnering with Pope. The Panther Relays is known for top distance events, relays, and sprinting events. When you combine what we have done with what Pope has done, we will going to have something special for all the athletes and coaches," added Coach Walker, Head Coach of Starr's Mill Track & Field.
Teams competing in the Atlanta Relays will also have the opportunity to take part in an athlete draft, choosing Olympic hopefuls to support during the athlete's final build up to the Trials and hosting cheer stations for those athletes on race day.
"Atlanta Track Club's bid to host the Trials was built around not only Atlanta's Olympic legacy, but also its Olympic future" said Rich Kenah, executive director of Atlanta Track Club which will serve as the Local Organizing Committee for the Trials. "That not only refers to the six athletes who will stamp their ticket to the Tokyo Games on February 29, but also the outstanding high school track and field talent across the state of Georgia."
America's Marathon Weekend will bring more than 150,000 runners, walkers and spectators to the streets of Atlanta. Nearly 600 Olympic hopefuls are expected to compete in the Trials on Saturday with tens of thousands of fans lining the streets to cheer. The race will be televised nationally on NBC. In Sunday, March 1 more than 12,000 people will take part in the annual Publix Atlanta Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K.
Registration for The Atlanta Relays will open on Georgia Mile Split on November 1, 2019 and close January 1, 2020 or when the meet reaches capacity.