150 additional Drake Relays tickets inside stadium will go on sale Wednesday

DES MOINES — If you’re the parent of a Drake Relays high school qualifier, you’re likely frustrated about the ticket arrangement. Confused. Angry.

Know this: Blake Boldon hears you. He gets it.

“We’re excited to have the kids competing,” Boldon — the Drake Relays director — said Tuesday. “We wish we could have every one of the parents in our stadium. Unfortunately, that’s just not possible in 2021.”

Drake Stadium is limited to 3,000 fans (about 22 percent of capacity) for all three days of this year’s event, including the high school competition Thursday.

Boldon announced Tuesday that more than 200 tickets, all of which are designed to go to high school athletes’ families, are about to be released.

First, the shot put — usually held inside the stadium — will be moved outside the stadium, and that about 100 more tickets will be available for the throwing events.

Second, a section of 150 seats in Section M (in the south end of the stadium) will go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

“They won’t be available through the (Drake ticket office),” Boldon said. “A link was sent to all qualifying coaches at 6 p.m. Monday, and a reminder (was sent) at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

“The link will go live at 10 a.m. Wednesday. I know it won’t accommodate all requests, but still, it’s a significant number.”

Boldon reminds Relays fans that no tickets will be printed.

“The only tickets are available through the ticketing app,” he said. “Be very leery of people that say they want to sell you printed tickets.”

Drake is the only major track meet on a Division-I campus that is allowing high school competition in 2021.

“Our closest peers — Penn, Kansas, etc. — they canceled the high school portion months ago,” Boldon said.

“This has been tough for everybody involved. But I think if we’d told everybody in February that there were two choices — no high school competition, or high school competition with very limited attendance — the overwhelming choice would have been the second one.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com