JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – We all know that's there's nothing like Friday Night Football here in Jacksonville. Even basketball and soccer have picked up of late. But for the past four decades the Bob Hayes Invitational Track meet has been a focal point for young track and field participants.
Elite high school athletes from all over the country will take to the track of Raines High School this weekend. Over its 52 years this meet has grown from including five or six local schools to now showcase over 140 schools from as far away as Texas and New York. Bob Hayes was the first man to win an Olympic Gold Medal and a Super Bowl ring and this event really keeps his legacy going.
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“Track and field touches more people than any other sports,” said James Day who is the head track coach at Raines and the meet director of the Bob Hayes Invitational. “They run, they jump, and they throw. So it touches people and we want to make sure this thing stays alive forever.”