The Drake Relays, Iowa's premier sporting event, will feature 112 events, including 22 invitational events, scheduled for the 97th running of the track and field extravaganza April 27-29 at Drake Stadium.

For the first time ever, there will be a special high jump showcase to kick off the Drake Relays on Wednesday, April 26, during the noon hour at Nollen Plaza in downtown Des Moines. Drake Relays Director Brian Brown, a former world-class high jumper, thought staging a competition away from Drake Stadium might help people connect with the athletes. Drake officials will set up a regulation jumping area, including a special Mondo turf runway. Speakers will be in place so onlookers can clap in rhythm with each athlete's theme song.

Five-time U.S. Outdoor champion Amy Acuff, who finished fourth in the 2004 Olympic Games, will join Chaunte Howard, silver medalist at the 2005 World Outdoor Championships for the showcase.

Acuff and Howard will be joined in the field by Gwen Wentland, who won the 2005 U.S. Indoor Championships; Karol Rovelto, who competed in the 2000 Olympics; Whitney Evans of Canada, who won the 2003 NCAA outdoor high jump title while competing for Washington State; Beth Castagno; and Carri LongThe meet opens competition with the heptathlon and decathlon on Wednesday and Thursday, April 26-27. The sixth annual distance carnival will start at 4:25 p.m. Thursday with finals in six running events, capped off by the men's 5,000m at 6:42 p.m.Preliminary heats will be held Friday with finals slated for the afternoon session beginning at 12:10 p.m., with the university-college men's 4x1600-meter relay.

For the first time ever the Drake Relays will host a Friday evening session beginning at 6:15 p.m. Finals in four running events and three field events, including the university/college division of the men's high jump will culminate Friday night. The Saturday session will begin at 8 a.m. with the 8-kilometer and the half-marathon road races. The first session inside the stadium also will start at 8 a.m. The Saturday afternoon session, which will feature finals in 37 races and six field events, will begin at 12:25 p.m.

For more information on the 2006 Drake Relays, visit www.drakerelays.com.