The 113th Running of the Penn Relays Carnival featured what was titled the USA vs. the World relays. Really, it should be called the USA vs. Jamaica. But, let’s get to that a little later.

The Penn Relays is a fast paced three day track and field event that attracts not only the some of the best Athletes in the world but track teams from High Schools and Colleges from across U.S. This year’s competition was no different. The best of the best attended this year’s relays. Among the attendees this year were past track and field notables as Olympic Gold Medalists Carl Lewis, and Bruce Jenner.

The relays started with a threat of rain and thunderstorms that came on the second day of the races.  But on the final day, the big day, the sun was out; the track was dry and fast.  Just right for the much anticipated USA vs. the World relays.  The stadium was sold out with just about an even split between USA fans and Jamaican fans.

If you have never attended the Penn relays, then you don’t know that the Jamaican teams are very well represented in the stands with thousands of Jamaican fans that come from all over the U.S. and Jamaica.  They are the loudest ones at the relays and they shout and wave their green, yellow and black flags whenever a Jamaican team is announced whether it is high school, college, or an Olympic development team.

This year, the USA fans gave the Jamaican’s all they could stand. There were six USA vs. the World races this year and the USA won five out of the six. In, the first race the USA women vs. the World team in the 4x100 the USA Red team which consisted of Lisa Barber, Allyson Felix, Muna Lee, and Lauryn Williams, dominated the race and won with a time of 42.87 seconds.