The months leading up to the 2016 Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee featured the unveiling of numerous 'Rio Olympic Games Preview' events assembled by Brian Brown, the Franklin 'Pitch' Johnson Director of the Drake Relays. Designed to capture the excitement of an Olympic year, Brown set out to assemble some of the top fields in the world to compete on the Drake Relays' iconic Blue Oval.
But even Brown, in his final year at the helm of the Relays, could not have predicted the degree to which those events would exceed even his own expectation and hype. The 'Rio Olympic Games Previews' truly lived up to their name and provided Drake Relays fans with the first opportunity to witness 20 future Olympic medalists compete up close and personal before showcasing their talent to the world in Rio.