Des Moines native Lolo Jones returning to run in the Drake Relays

The plan was already for Lolo Jones to be back in Des Moines at the Drake Relays later this year to be inducted into the event’s Hall of Fame during a luncheon.

Turns out, that’ll just be the opening act.

Jones, a Des Moines native and once one of track and field’s biggest names, plans to compete in this year’s Drake Relays at the school’s famed blue oval, the runner announced on her Instagram account.

She’ll compete in the 100-meter hurdles on April 27. The race is scheduled to take place around 3 p.m. and televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.

"The Drake Relays is near and dear to Lolo," said Drake Relays director Blake Boldon. "It's always on her radar and, of course, since the day she graduated high school, there's always been a lane for Lolo Jones at the Drake Relays."

It’s a big return to the famed track for Jones, who was a star runner at Des Moines’s Roosevelt High School and LSU before embarking on a professional career.

Jones was the first-four-time winner in the Drake Relays invitational 100-meter hurdles, capturing titles from 2005-08. She was named the outstanding women’s performer of the event in 2008 after setting a meet record of 12.74.

She led in the finals of the 100 hurdles at the Beijing Olympics before clipping the ninth hurdle and finishing seventh. She later went on to finish fourth in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

The Iowa native has become more than just a track star over the years. She competed on the US. bobsled team in the 2014 Winter Olympics and won a gold medal in the mixed team event at the 2013 World Championships.

Jones has also been a reality television star, appearing on Big Brother and The Challenge.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Lolo Jones, Olympic star, to run in 2024 Drake Relays