DES MOINES — A group of Marshalltown High School runners/alumni came to the Drake Relays planning to compete individually. They left as a small part of a world record.

During Thursday night’s “Distance Carnival,” members of the Marshalltown Track Club answered a late request from meet officials to help fill out the field for a newly added Masters 4×800-meter relay. The race needed multiple teams competing on the track in order for any potential record to be officially ratified.

The group of Bobcat alumni took the opportunity not only to be a part of something special, but help out along the way.

On an otherwise windy day, three male teams, composed mostly of Bobcats, provided a windshield and pace job for the group attempting to chase history.

The women’s 65-69 relay team of Lesley Hinz, Deb Torneden, Julie Hayden and Nancy Simmons ran 11 minutes, 28.28 seconds, breaking the previous world record of 11:38.10 set by Great Britain in 2025.

“We got an email on Saturday saying there’s a group of gals trying to break the world record,” said Jarret Heil, a 1999 Marshalltown graduate and the current Marshall County Supervisor.

“They put out a feeler asking if we could get any teams together. It was all about pacing them to get them to the world record. It felt really special to be part of it.”

Several former Bobcats already planning to run in the Masters 800 quickly assembled teams with a few additions from the Greater Philadelphia Track Club. Runners from across the country came together to help the quartet chase history.

“It feels awesome that we had a small part in helping them get the baton around,” said Ben Cox, a 2000 graduate, who ran the opening leg. “They just said, Here’s the pace we want to run, if you can break the wind for us a little bit, that’s all we need.'”

That simple ask proved to be beneficial on a breezy evening inside the stadium.

Cox said the beginning of the race required a few adjustments after a hot start, but the pacers settled into the requested tempo of roughly 2:54 per 800, and worked to shield the runners from the wind.

“The backstretch had a huge wind at our back, so that took us through the first 200 a little fast,” Cox said. “But we were able to regroup and block the wind for her so she didn’t have to take the brunt of it.”

For Heil, the moment was less about times and more about the opportunity to contribute.

“You know, what an honor it is to help someone else do that,” he said. “We were just there encouraging the whole time around the track, helping them push through the wind. It’s crazy to feel like you’re a part of a world record.”

The race was another opportunity to continue the tradition of Marshalltown alumni returning to Des Moines to compete in masters events at Drake, reconnecting through the sport years after their high school careers.

“It makes me feel like a kid,” Heil said. “It’s great to still be a part of this and represent our high school.”

Meet director Blake Boldon congratulated all competitors following the race, as everyone involved in the record celebrated the milestone.

While the spotlight was on the record-breaking quartet, the Marshalltown runners walked away knowing they played a meaningful role in a historic night at the Drake Relays.