<h2><b>Games host special events in 2020; full return in 2021</b></h2>
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From staff reports</strong>

After a nearly 35-year hiatus, the Palmetto State Games Track and Field Championship returns to showcase South Carolina’s top athletes. The all-comers meet takes place at Columbia International University in Columbia on June 19-20 and the Palmetto State Games Championship on July 17-18.

“We wanted to provide competition opportunities for athletes who did not get to have a track and field season.” Executive Director, Jimmy Stephens said in a release.

Field events include pole vault, javelin, shot put, discus, high jump, long jump and triple jump. Track events include 100/110-meter hurdles, 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 400-meter hurdles, 800 meters, mile, 3000 meters, and 5000 meters races.

The championship is open to South Carolina residents of all ages and skill levels. Events will strictly follow United States Track and Field (USATF) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines regarding COVID-19. Athletes will be physically distanced as much as possible and spectators may be limited.

Stephens plans to host weekend events in other South Carolina cities this fall. He expects the 2021 Palmetto State Games to feature a minimum of six sports in multiple venues around South Carolina and will add events as they can be supported at a high level.

The Palmetto State Games belongs to a national membership association called the National Congress of State Games (NCSG). NCSG programs exist in 40 states and involve approximately 500,000 participants, 1.2 million spectators, and 100,000 volunteers each year. More than 536 communities hold competitions each year, with participants coming from over 6,000 cities.

For more information about the games, email info@palmettostategames.com or visit www.palmettostategames.com