Photo courtesy ThePennRelays.com

The nation’s oldest and largest track and field event, the Penn Relays, kicks off tomorrow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field (233 S. 33rd St.) and there are a couple things West Philadelphia residents should know about the event.

First, traffic near Franklin Field will increase significantly as a result of the Relays, which run through Saturday. Penn security officials said 33rd Street from Walnut to South will be closed for about an hour on Saturday, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Those planning to attend the event, which attracts some 15,000 athletes ranging from high school students to Olympians, should expect much tighter security than in the past due to the recent bombings at the Boston Marathon. Security will be tight at every entrance to Franklin Field and everyone will be checked with metal detectors. Bomb-sniffing dogs and bomb disposal teams will also be on hand.

Here are the rules:

• Backpacks and large bags (gym bags etc.) will not be permitted into Franklin Field or the Relay Carnival Village.

• Participants (athletes, coaches, team medical personnel) will be permitted to bring in backpacks. These bags will be thoroughly checked and will only be allowed in via the designated participant entrances.

• All bags containing food must be smaller than 12x12x6 (inches) and in clear plastic bags. Sealed plastic water bottles and cardboard juice boxes are permitted inside the clear plastic bags.

• Coolers, glass bottles and cans will not be permitted.

For more info, including ticket information and schedule of events, go to the Penn Relays website.

The Philadelphia 76ers will host a free open scrimmage later today at the Palestra (220 S. 32nd St.). Tickets are free and will be available at the gates. The first 1,500 people in get a free Sixers t-shirt. Coach Doug Collins will wear a wireless mic during the game and spectators will be able to hear his comments to the team. The doors open at 5 p.m. and the scrimmage runs 6-8 p.m.

We just got word that youth soccer at Clark Park is cancelled this week. Recent rains have left too much water in the Bowl. Soccer will resume next Saturday if things dry out a little.

One of the area’s best-known bicycle shops will open a location at the former Strikes Bowling Lounge (and an original Urban Outfitters store) at 4040 Locust St. later this summer.

Keswick Cycle will reportedly open the 4,000-square-foot store in late August, just as students start to return to the area en masse. The store, which will include bike and clothing sales and maintenance, will likely be the largest bike shop in West Philly.

The store will also include a studio to help elite riders and triathletes get fitted for bikes.

Keswick Cycle has been a neighborhood fixture in the Montgomery County suburb of Glenside since the 1930s and also operates a store in Cherry Hill, N.J.

Here’s a piece from the CBS Evening News last night on brothers Kareem and Daymar Rosser and their friend Brandon Reese from the Cowtown/Work to Ride polo team, which won the 42nd annual USPA National Interscholastic Championship tournament last month.

The three young men, all West Philly natives, were the first African American team ever to win the title.

This week’s weather will try to convince us that spring is right around the corner. OK, we’ll take the bait, and remind folks that registration for youth sports leagues is upon us. Here’s a quick rundown of a few popular ones:

• Clark Park Youth Soccer

The registration deadline is March 1. The season runs March 19 through May 21. The cost of registration is $42 for one child, which includes membership in the Friends of Clark Park. Additional kiddos in the same family are cheaper. All the forms you need to make it happen are here.

Each 90-minute Saturday session includes instruction and a game. The league is open to kids 5-11.

• Fairmount Sports Association baseball and softball

Many kids from neighborhood play softball and baseball across the river in the Fairmount Sports Association youth leagues off Ben Franklin Parkway. T-Ball typically involves age groups (boys and girls) starting at 4-6 years old. Girls softball begins at the rookie level with league play for ages 6-10 years of age. There is also a junior–senior level league for ages 11-16 years of age.

Boy’s baseball begins at the Rookie level (7-9), Junior or Pony League (10-12) and Senior league (13-16). Travel teams will be made up upon coaches and players availability.

You’ve already missed the early bird registration for this one, so it will cost you an extra $10 to register now. Online registration is available here. Walk-in registration is also available at the FSA building near the fields every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and Tuesday/Thursday 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Taney Youth baseball and softball

This league headquartered in South Philadelphia is also a popular one for neighborhood kids. The league plays its games on a number of fields in Center City. Opening day is April 9. Early bird registration is closed for this one too. But be quick because there is a cap on the number of players that will be allowed to register. The league is trying to get everyone to register online here. The registration fee is $90 for the first child and $80 for each additional child. The league is open to kids ages 3-15.