The Carnival: 125 Years of the Penn Relays (2020)

The Penn Relays are unlike any other sporting event in the world today. With a deeply rooted legacy dating back more than 125 years, it is one of the longest running sporting events in history. A multi-day festival disguised as a track meet that attracts both athletes and fans from more than 36 countries, the Relays are a unique collision of culture, tradition, top-notch athletic competition and generations of people uniting for one purpose, year after year. With The Carnival, we set out to discover how this event has lasted the test of time to create a legacy that will outlive us all. We sat down with track and field legends like Carl Lewis, Renaldo Nehemiah and Dr. Greg Bell, along with current Olympians like Justin Gaitlin and many others to re-live some of the Relay's greatest moments in its storied history while diving deeper into the cultural impact the Relays has had on the sport beyond the track. We examine how the early pioneers at the University of Pennsylvania broke down racial barriers and roadblocks that allowed the Penn Relays to become one of the lone bright spots during America's darkest hours and how that decision defined the relays for generations to come.