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BALTIMORE, Md. (April 23, 2025) -- The Morgan State Track and Field teams are gearing up for a high-stakes weekend as they journey to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to participate in the129th Running of the Penn Relays presented by Toyota. Held at the historic Franklin Field, this prestigious event offers a unique opportunity for the Bears to test their mettle against some of the nation's top collegiate and professional athletes. The team will be looking to make a statement on this national stage, aiming to improve upon their season bests and potentially secure qualifying marks for upcoming championship meets.
The Penn Relays have a staggering 17,000 competitors over the course of the three days. Franklin Field is active from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, with finals action taking place on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information go to www.thepennrelays.com.
The Penn Relay will see a strong presence from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), with Morgan State joining six other MEAC institutions – Coppin State, Delaware State, Howard, North Carolina Central, Norfolk State, and Maryland Eastern Shore – in the competition. These schools will be vying for top performances against a field stacked with nationally ranked programs. The competition promises to be fierce, as athletic powerhouses like Clemson, Florida State, Michigan, Tennessee, Georgetown, Houston, TCU, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, and Virginia are also sending their athletes to compete in this iconic meet. The MEAC schools will be looking to make their mark and showcase their talent on a national stage amongst such formidable competition.
The Penn Relays is the last meet before the Bears compete in the MEAC Championships scheduled for May 15-17 at Dick Price Stadium on the campus of Norfolk State in Norfolk, Virginia.
As a program, Morgan State has won a total of 16 Penn Relay Championships with 12 coming on the men's side. The last men's championship at the Penn Relays came in 1984 with the 4X200 meter relay team claiming victory in a time of 1:22.49, followed by the shuttle hurdles championship in a time of 56.27. The last women's title was in 1986 by the 4X100 meter relay team. Three of the Lady Bears' four overall titles have come in the 4X100 meter relay event.
First held on April 21, 1895, the Penn Relays is the longest uninterrupted collegiate track meet in the nation. Over 100,000 fans annually attend the action, watching more than 22,000 student-athletes from high schools and colleges for around the nation. Except for the Olympics and World Championships, more spectators have watched this event than any other meet in the world.
Bear Note
Morgan's fabled 1950 record breaking 4x440 yard Championship of America relay team will be inducted into the Penn Relays Wall of Fame. The foursome consisted of Samuel LaBeach, Robert Tyler, William Brown and George Rhoden. Read up here.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
