SOKY’s Biggest Event Returns to EKU for 31st Year
More than 1,100 athletes from across Kentucky will gather at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond June 5-7 when the State Summer Games return to the campus for the 31st consecutive year.
For the fourth straight year, the Games are trimmed down to just four sports. The Brad Harkleroad Memorial State Swim Meet continued as a stand-alone event with nearly 200 swimmers competing at the Ralph J. Wright Natatorium at UofL on May 16.
Summer Games activities get underway early on June 5 when the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg kicks off in Frankfort. Law enforcement officers from across Kentucky will guide the Flame of Hope from Frankfort to the Opening Ceremonies in Richmond during the day. The route and stops schedule is still being planned.
With the massive growth in our Unified bocce program this year, competition will actually start BEFORE Opening Ceremonies for the first time ever. The Unified bocce competition will start at 3:30 pm on the middle intramural field. There will be a break so that all athletes can attend Opening Ceremonies.
Opening Ceremonies for the Games will begin at 6 pm on June 5 in Baptist Health Arena. The Ceremonies will include the introduction of athletes – including the athletes who will compete as Team Kentucky at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games – a performance by the Heart and Sole Steppers Double Dutch jump rope group from Elsmere, Ky., an appearance by EKU Men’s Basketball Coach A.W. Hamilton, a special video message and the lighting of the Special Olympics cauldron presented by Whitaker Bank.
Competition will continue Friday night immediately following the Opening Ceremonies. The Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Track will host the distance races and relays beginning at approximately 7:30 pm on June 5. There will also be several heats of the softball throw competition held at Turkey Hughes Baseball Field on Friday night, as well as the continuation of the Unified bocce competition on the EKU middle intramural field.
Competition continues for all sports on Saturday beginning between 8 and 9 am. Soccer will take place at the Noah Tinch Memorial Soccer Venue near the back of campus. The venue was named in memory of Noah, who volunteered at the competition last year, following his tragic passing shortly after last year’s Games.
Rhythmic gymnastics will return to EKU’s Student Recreation Center where it has been held for the past three years.
Campus Improvements at EKU have caused big changes to some other Summer Games venues. Healthy Athletes will return to its 2026 home on the second floor of the Powell Building. It has added Medfest sports physicals and will once again include Opening Eyes, Special Smiles, Healthy Hearing, Fit Feet, Fun Fitness, Strong Minds and Health Promotion.
Olympic Town will be on the move this year. The 2026 Olympic Town location will feel familiar to anyone who has been coming to the Summer Games for many years, however, as it is returning to the Alumni Coliseum parking lot near the Softball Throw venue.
More than 600 volunteers are needed to make sure the State Summer Games operate smoothly. If you or your organization are interested in volunteering at the games, contact Volunteer Services Manager Michaele Roy at 502-695-8222 or mroy@soky.org.
This will be the second year of expanded support from longtime Summer Games Platinum Sponsor Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. The sponsorship increase includes greater visibility throughout the Games for Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy, including a full sponsorship of the Track and Field venue. Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy has played a vital role at the track throughout their 14-year association with the Games, including managing the entire awards process for all track and most field events. In addition, Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy has signed on as the official water sponsor for the year for Special Olympics Kentucky. In that role they will provide all of the bottled water for volunteers and each athlete, coach and volunteer lunch will have a bottle of water provided by Touchstone.
This will be the 13th year that Chick-fil-A Central Kentucky stores are the Official Lunch Sponsor of the Games and will be teaming up to provide all lunches for athletes, coaches and volunteers on Saturday.
For information about the 2026 Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games, contact Special Olympics Kentucky Senior Director of Sports and Competition Holly Vincent at 502-695-8222 or via e-mail at hvincent@soky.org.
See Photos from the 2025 State Summer Games
The 2026 Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games are made possible through the generosity of platinum sponsor Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, Special Olympics Kentucky year-round partners Jersey Mike’s, Texas Roadhouse and Toyota; Official Lunch Sponsor Chick-fil-A; Gold Sponsors Eastern Kentucky University and Walmart; Silver Sponsors Dever Golf Cars, the Knights of Columbus Lockheed Martin, Richmond Tourism and Southland Dairy Farmers; Bronze Sponsors A-L-E Roofing, the City of Richmond, EKU Catering, Greentree Forest Products, LBX Company, Penske Truck Rental, RCS Communication, UNITS Portable Moving and Storage, Waste Connections and Whitaker Bank.
| 2026 Summer Games Schedule |
| Friday, June 5 10:00 am Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg lighting ceremony Old Kentucky Capitol, Frankfort 3:30 pm Unified Bocce Competition Begins Middle Intramural Field 6:00 pm 7:00 pm Saturday, June 6 9:00 am – 2:00 pm 9:00 am – 2:00 pm 7:30 – 9:30 pm |