71
PREFONTAINE CLASSIC
Where?
Hayward Field
University of Oregon
1580 East 15th Street
Eugene, OR 97403
When?
One day every year in early June.
Significance:
The Prefontaine Classic is recognized as the premier track and field meet in the United States and the only chance that fans have of seeing the World Athletics Tour on North American soil. Outside of Europe, this is the top-ranked annual track and field meet by the IAAF, a designation the Classic has enjoyed since 2000.
To qualify for the Prefontaine Classic, track and field athletes must be ranked in the Top 50 in the world for their respective events. This is an elite event with only the best competing. It draws the largest United States crowds for a track and field competition.
The annual event is named in honor of Steve Prefontaine, a track and field legend who was considered America’s greatest distance runner at the time of his 1975 death at the age of twenty-four. You may know him from two critically acclaimed movies based on his life: Prefontaine in 1997 and Without Limits in 1998.
Hayward Field is the home of the Prefontaine Classic. The track and field-only facility is named after Bill Hayward, the first track and field coach for the University of Oregon from 1904 to 1947. “Track City USA,” as it is known, not only attracts the best in track and field from thousands of miles away, but fans well-versed in the sport, not to mention enthusiastic and downright loud.
Who attends?
Dedicated and savvy track and field fans who have to wait an entire year to see the best track and field stars from around the world in what they consider to be “dream matches.”
How to get there?
From the airport, take Highway 999 South to the Beltline Highway East. Take the Delta Highway Exit South. Merge left onto I-105 E/ OR-126 East. Take Country Club Road (exit #2) to Coburg Road and take a right. Follow Coburg as it forks to the left and winds around downtown to the North edge of the campus. Take a right on Agate Street. Hayward Field is between 15th and 18th Avenues.
Tickets:
For secondary ticket access, consider:
GoTickets, Inc.
2345 Waukegan Road, Suite 140
Bannockburn, IL 60015-1552
Toll-Free: 1-800-775-1617
Fax: (919) 481-9101
E-mail: sales@gotickets.com
www.gotickets.comAccommodations:
Americas Best Value Inn
1140 West 6th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97402
Phone: (541) 343-0730
Fax: (541) 343-8443
Toll-Free: 1-877-646-2466
www.bestvalueinneugene.comNote: A hotel that lives up to its claim of being “cheerful, comfortable, and convenient.”
Campbell House Inn & Restaurant
252 Pearl Street
Eugene, OR 97401
Phone: (541) 343-1119
Fax: (541) 343-2258
Toll-Free: 1-800-264-2519
www.campbellhouse.comNote: Restored nineteenth-century building in the style of a fine European hotel. Conveniently located in downtown Eugene.
Campus Inn & Suites
390 East Broadway
Eugene, OR 97401
Phone: (541) 343-3376
Fax: (541) 485-9392
Toll-Free: 1-800-888-6313
www.campus-inn.comNote: Guests enjoy 24-hour desk service and Starbucks coffee served with their continental breakfast. Near downtown Eugene.
On-Site Hospitality:
There is no upscale onsite hospitality, so grab a seat and enjoy the races.
Travel Packages:
If you are going to travel to this event, I would recommend using a reliable company to work with you on making the necessary arrangements. The suppliers listed in this book have solid references and are by far the most trusted in the business. Below are some of the organizations to try for this Top 100 Must See Sporting Event.
Premiere Corporate Events
14 Penn Plaza, Suite 925
New York, NY 10122
Phone: (212) 695-9480
Fax: (212) 564-8098
Toll-Free: 1-877-621-5243
E-mail: requests@tseworld.com
www.tseworld.comwww.pcevents.comPremiere Sports Travel
201 Shannon Oaks Circle, Suite 205
Cary, NC 27511
Phone: (919) 481-9511
Fax: (919) 481-1337
Toll-Free: 1-800-924-9993
E-mail: sales@sportstravel.com
www.sportstravel.comDining:
The Cooler Restaurant & Bar
Note: Popular race-day haunt since 1968. Great food, cold drinks, sports on the televisions, live music, and even the chance to get up and belt out a karaoke tune.
Adam’s Place
Note: Seven Wine Spectator awards can’t be wrong. Plus, they serve an organic menu of local meats and seafood.
Ambrosia Restaurant
174 East Broadway
Eugene, OR 97401
Phone: (541) 342-4141
Fax: (541) 345-6965
Note: Fine Northern Italian cuisine and specialty pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven. Enjoy drinks that include rare Italian wines and espresso coffees.
Airport:
Eugene Airport (EUG)
28855 Lockheed Drive
Eugene, OR 97402
Phone: (541) 682-5430
Sports Travel Insider’s Edge:
Best way to watch the action:
As preparation for the U.S. Olympic trials for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, Hayward Field now boasts several new renovations, in particular a brand-new scoreboard with real-time video and replays. Seating in the West Grandstand’s Section B is a great vantage point as is the Southeast side where you can sit in the grass at Powell Plaza.
Best place to get up close:
A chronological display of Oregon track and field history is located on the outside of Powell Plaza. Learn about Steve Prefontaine, Bill Bowerman, Bill Hayward, and other track and field pioneers. No tickets are necessary and you can view it at any time.
Best travel tip:
Your own film festival with a double-feature of Prefontaine and Without Limits will provide you a background of the legendary Steve Prefontaine, and more importantly, get you in the spirit of the Classic. For an outside activity, go visit the Nike Campus located about ninety minutes from the track.
Notable Quotes:
“But the loudest, the loudest I’ve ever heard it, was in 2001, beginning in the first turn of the last lap of the mile. World-record holder Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco had the lead and was on his way to breaking 3:50. But the knowing crowd, Bowerman’s crowd, Pre’s crowd, was watching a Virginia high school kid, Alan Webb, back in eighth place, moving out and beginning to pass. Webb took NCAA champion Bryan Berryhill on the turn, then Adil Kaouch of Morocco and Raymond Yator of Kenya on the back-stretch. By then the sound was of such an order that stadium announcer Scott Davis, realizing that he couldn’t be heard, turned off the mike and willed the 18-year-old on.”—TOM JORDAN, Steve Prefontaine Biographer and Prefontaine Classic Meet Director for over twenty years.
“Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.”—STEVE PREFONTAINE
“They’ve named Eugene Tracktown, USA for a reason. It’s always an honor to come here and race.”—GAIL DEVERS, sprinter, Olympic gold medalist
Relevant Websites: