City of Lawrence Approves Downtown Kansas Relays Events

Feb. 24, 2011

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

The city of Lawrence will help showcase a unique portion of the 2011 Kansas Relays, as city commissioners gave their stamp of approval on three downtown events during Tuesday’s meeting. Downtown Lawrence will now be the stage for the elite men’s shot put, elite men’s long jump and the street mile events.

The shot put will kick things off Wednesday, April 20, with the street mile and long jump being contested the following day.

The shot put will take place on the 100 and 200 blocks of Eighth Street between Massachusetts and New Hampshire Streets. Plans call for the construction of a throwing area and platform, as well as a spectator viewing area. The event, which is slated for 6 p.m., is billed as a one of the Relays marquee contests, as seven of the world’s top-25 throwers will be featured, including Nos. 1, 2 and 3 Christian Cantwell, Reese Hoffa and Cory Martin.

Cantwell, a Missouri grad who won a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, will be one of three former Olympians contending for the title. The world’s top thrower will be squaring off against his Beijing teammate Dylan Armstrong, who placed fourth in the ’08 Games as well as Adam Nelson, who owns two Olympic silver medals from the 2000 Sydney Games and the 2004 Athens Games. Also in the mix is the world’s 12th-ranked thrower Dan Taylor, who was the 2009 U.S. Indoor Champion and No. 22-ranked Dorian Scott.

Thursday’s events will begin with the one mile run and will be followed by the long jump. The mile run, which will take place at 5:30 p.m., will begin at the 700 block of New Hampshire and end at the 700 block of Vermont. This event will include elite runners and members of the public who wish to participate. There is a $18.00 entry fee, which includes a t-shirt and an entry button. Click here to register for the mile run.

At 6 p.m., the central location of Eighth Street will serve as the site of the final event. Jumpers will be competing one block down from where the shot put took place at the intersection of Vermont and Eighth Streets.

The events are free to the public and will be held in concurrence with the other Relay events at Lawrence Memorial Stadium.