Eugene, Springfield Roll Out Red Carpet This Week In Celebration Of 50th Prefontaine Classic

In a community long known for its deep-rooted passion for track and field and the many prestigious events it regularly hosts related to the sport, there’s something quite special in store this week in Eugene.

This Saturday, the Prefontaine Classic returns to Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. It’s no ordinary track and field meet, though, as the iconic event celebrates the 50th edition of what has become a popular fixture on the global track and field calendar.

Since its inception, the meet has drawn top track and field athletes from around the world. At the local level, the event has held a special place among the many marquee meets that regularly take place at Hayward Field. After all, the Pre Classic is a homegrown event that always has been held at Eugene’s Hayward Field.

It’s no surprise, then, that the Eugene-Springfield area is pulling out all stops to celebrate the 50th edition of the meet.

An impressive network of event organizers and partner organizations have worked together to produce a robust week of activities surrounding Saturday’s Pre Classic. It’s much more than the meet, itself. The schedule of events includes many fan-favorites that have become strong traditions of the annual event, with an array of special additions to help celebrate its 50 years in style.

• The lead-up begins Wednesday with the annual Oregon Track Club All Comers Meet at the Prefontaine Classic, presented by PeaceHealth. A popular running feature in the area for decades, this event invites kids aged 12 and under to run, jump and throw in a series of traditional events at Hayward Field, just like their idols. Walk-up registration for the All Comers Meet begins at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, with field events beginning at 5:30 p.m. Participation is free for Oregon Track Club and TrackTown USA Kids Club members, while non-members can participate for $7.

• The following day, the Night of Miles at the Pre Classic, presented by Noogs, returns for a second year. The free event takes place Thursday evening and invites fans of all ages to get on the track at Hayward Field and run or walk a mile. A decidedly active way to join in the celebration of track and field in the community where it matters most, the event starts at 6 p.m. Recommended preregistration is available through Wednesday at 8 p.m. On-site registration will be available at the check-in tent located outside the north gate near the Hayward Tower.

• Friday brings the 51st running of the Oregon Track Club Butte to Butte, presented by Rexius. The Butte to Butte features a 10k run, 5k run/walk and the 4-Mile Mayor’s Walk. Always a big hit, the course runs through the streets of Eugene while finishing at the 5th Street Public Market.

A priority this year was to bring back many of the athletes and administrative alumni that have played such a big part in making the Prefontaine Classic successful over the years, says Jody Smith, TrackTown USA COO and Prefontaine Classic co-meeting director. A number of heritage athletes from the national, international and local levels will join the invited alumni workforce to help celebrate the people and performances of the first 50 years of the Prefontaine Classic.

“I think everybody has a special memory from the Pre Classic,” said Smith, “and hopefully some of those folks coming back here will be part of those memories.”

Among the fan favorites who helped shape memories at Hayward Field is Maria Mutola, the Prefontaine Classic’s winningest athlete ever. In honor of Mutola, an Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion who attended nearby Springfield High School after moving to Oregon in 1990 from her native Mozambique, the meet has dedicated all future women’s 800-meter races as the “Mutola 800m” beginning with Saturday’s race.

The Mutola 800m is one of more than two dozen women’s and men’s events that will take place on Saturday. The year’s field has featured an ever-increasing roster of the world’s best track and field athletes, with dozens of participants coming off medal performances at last year’s Paris Olympics.

For their part, TrackTown USA organizers take great pride in offering first-class treatment and accommodation not only to fans, but to all the athletes and support staff who make the event so special each year.

“Once the athletes are here, we want this meet to be incomparable to any other meet that they go to, in terms of hospitality and engagement opportunities,” said Smith.

Smith says many athletes have indicated how much they appreciate the fan support for this meet, in particular, resulting in organizers developing even more ways for them to engage directly with the fan base.

Marshfield District

Fans unable to attend the meet in-person will be able to tune in to live coverage of the event on NBC Sports and Peacock, beginning at 1 p.m. PT. On the ground, Saturday’s festivities extend beyond the boundaries of Hayward Field, with the Marshfield District offering both ticketed and non-ticketed fans a pre- and post-meet gathering place for family-friendly fun, including food, drinks, merchandise, entertainment and the TrackTown USA Kids Club Kids Zone. There is no admission charge for the Marshfield District, which is located on Agate Street outside Hayward Field and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

A non-profit organization that regularly hosts and supports many of the premier track and field events held in the area, TrackTown USA works closely with an extensive network of partners to produce the Prefontaine Classic.

Smith says successfully staging such marquee track and field events as the Prefontaine Classic would not be possible without the dedication of a vast volunteer network and strong public and private partnerships throughout the region and state, including the likes of the University of Oregon and Hayward Field, the cities of Eugene and Springfield, Lane County, the Oregon Track Club, Travel Lane County and Sport Oregon.

Roughly 300 volunteers and technical officials are expected to join in the fun this week to help make everything run smoothly. According to Smith, they all play a critical part in the event’s success.

“They are masters of their craft and masters of this field,” Smith said.

To commemorate this year’s anniversary, a new brand identity was launched. The new look and feel returned to the iconic “Prefontaine Classic” font that was first featured in the early years of the meet and prominently featured in the “Pre 50” logo this year. “Anniversary Gold” and “Relentless Black” form the palette foundation for the Prefontaine Classic’s golden edition, with the Nike Swoosh being embedded in the 50th logo to celebrate the brand’s longstanding support and partnership in the event.

In terms of the financial impact of the Prefontaine Classic, Travel Lane County officials estimate the meet and its surrounding activities regularly generate around $1 million in economic impact for the area.

Officials with Travel Lane County say they place great emphasis on community engagement for the Prefontaine Classic. J.B. Carney, senior director of sports for the organization, says the fact that the Prefontaine Classic has been so successful for five decades now is a testament to the considerable and consistent support the community has shown for it, and track and field in general. But Eugene didn’t just wake up one day and decide it was TrackTown. The passionate community efforts of the past have worked “to support what we now celebrate today,” says Carney.

“With the Pre Classic, I think there’s a sense of ownership from a community standpoint,” Carney said. “And this year, the community is really stepping up and wanting to make it a big celebration.”

Accenting this strong local support, Carney says approximately 40 percent of this year’s attendees will come from outside the area. Add it all up, and the Prefontaine Classic has been a remarkably reliable economic driver for the community.

“In addition to the economic impact created by bringing thousands of fans from all over the world, this event has also helped put Eugene and Springfield on the global map,” Carney said. “People all over the world know about us, about TrackTown, in large part because of people like Steve Prefontaine and this event that celebrates his legacy.” 

Last year, Travel Lane County launched a “Welcome to Track Town” marketing campaign and increased its scope for this year’s edition, according to the organization’s director of conventions and sports marketing, Philis McLennan. The efforts to engage the local community and visitors to the Eugene-Springfield area over the several weeks and months leading up to this week included street-pole banners, storefront window paintings, airport ads, radio and TV ads, billboards and more grassroots offerings such as t-shirts, buttons, postcards and pocket guides. All this has added to the festive nature of the anniversary edition of the Prefontaine Classic and made it easy for the local business community to join in the fun as they welcome thousands of track and field fans to the area.

In the end, all these touches – both big and small – add to the unique appeal and civic pride that comes with this signature track and field event that’s been held in Eugene since the 1970s, something organizers take to heart.

“We constantly strive to make sure it is something that provides the community with something to be very, very proud of and enjoy,” Smith concluded.

For more information on this year’s Prefontaine Classic, go to www.preclassic.com.