Once again, the weather looks cold and wet, and that matters very little to the competitors that come to Paul Derr Track in search of big times.
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In terms of North Carolina's high school athletes, the Raleigh Relays has always meant one thing: huge 3200's. Sure, some of our state's preps have always competed unattached in the college races at other distances, but the Friday night two-miles have routinely dominated the state rankings (as well as producing many nationally-ranked performances). There's just something about running under the lights at Paul Derr Track that brings out the best in North Carolina's distance runners, and the high level of talent helps, too.
This year's Raleigh Relays has an added twist, though. The meet has added two more high school events, and both of them carry a coveted prize: an automatic berth in the adidas Grand Prix on June 13th in New York. That meet is famous for its Dream Mile and Dream 100, and this Friday there will be qualifying races for both of those iconic events! As an added bonus this summer, the Grand Prix is not on the same weekend as New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, which was the case last year, and that will allow North Carolina's best to potentially attend both events. How will this new dynamic affect the meet's classic 3200? Let's take a look at the three Raleigh Relays high school events and see.