JDL Fast Track is now host to numerous championships, including the NCHSAA State Meet and the NCAA DIvision III Nationals, as well as several college conference meets. You could make a strong case that the two most competitive and prestigious meets on the JDL schedule happen in back-to-back weeks before the championship portion of the season begins. On January 30th and 31st, the Hilton Garden Invitational will bring some of the top collegiate talent in the nation to North Carolina, and it will conclude with the Camel City Elite races that will pit top professional and amateur track & field athletes against each other and the clock. On the following weekend, the David Oliver Classic will follow the exact same pattern except for gathering exclusively high school talent. Together, they make for two weeks of excitement unmatched at any other point during North Carolina's indoor track season, and you could even make the case that these two meets are bigger than the majority of outdoor invitationals in this state!
David Oliver Invitational, February 6 & 7
This was already a deep and talented invitational two years ago, but it was taken to another level when the World Championship gold medalist signed on as the meet's namesake and sponsor. How can you not elevate your performances when an Olympian is on hand to cheer you on? This year's edition gets even more impressive - the Elite events that were previously a part of the Holiday Invitational have been moved to this meet, and their later placement makes is easier to recruit competitors from our neighboring states in the Southeast.
Working together, NCRunners and JDL Fast Track have extended invitations to national-caliber athletes from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as a large contingent of North Carolina's best talent. For example, Layla White (Cary) and a field of 5 more North Carolina athletes are committed in the the 400 and waiting for several out-of-state opponents to commit. If you want to see the best prep athletes in the Southeast, and some of the best in the nation, make sure to put this meet on your calendar!
Are you fast enough to run in the David Oliver Classic Elite races?
Contact Jeff George (jgeorge@milesplit.com) for more info!
Hilton Garden Invitational/Camel City Elite, January 31
If college and professional competition is more up your alley, then this is the meet for you. Friday and Saturday will see a full collegiate invitational, and then Saturday afternoon/evening brings around the Camel City Elite races. These signature events have expanded their scope in every year of their existence, and that means this year's fields are loaded with internationally-experienced, name-recognition athletes. Shannon Rowbury and Morgan Uceny headline the Women's Mellow Mile (and we can confirm that Ryen Frazier will be in the race), while Will Leer and Leo Manzano lead a Men's Mile field that also includes local talent Donnie Cowart. The Women's 800 might be the most impressive group of them all, with Geena Gall, LaTavia Thomas, and Phoebe Wright all in the mix; the Men's 3000 has a distinctly North Carolina feel with Bobby Mack, Isaac Presson, Sandy Roberts, and Ryan Walling taking on the rest. Recent word is that a Men's 60 Hurdles is being develped with David Oliver and Jason Richardson, as well!
Interested in supporting the Camel City Elite races?
Check out the Camel City Crowd Fund!
Camel City Elite Fields
Hilton Garden/Camel City Elite Schedule