History, Legacy & Legends of Track Town, USA

One of the most famous track and field-only facilities in the world is Hayward Field, on the University of Oregon campus.  This is hallowed ground for track and field athletes and fans. Built in 1919, the historic venue has hosted numerous NCAA Championships and national championships, dozens of Prefontaine Classics and various other world-class events.   Olympic Track and Field Trials were hosted here in 1972, '76, '80, 2008 and will  welcome Olympic hopefuls again in 2012. The public may run and workout on the track year-round and even compete in this championship arena when the Oregon Track Club sponsors its all-comers meets each July.

It was here that Nike took wings, when former Olympian and University of Oregon Track Coach Bill Bowerman and, then, middle-distance runner Phil Knight forged a partnership that ignited the beginnings of what would become the largest sports and fitness company in the world. 

Track legend Steve Prefontaine ran for the University of Oregon track team, amazing crowds by winning every American running record between 2,000 and 10,000 meters in 1975.  Other running legends and Olympians who came out of coach Bowerman's UO stable include Alberto Salazar, Mary Decker Slaney, Lance Deal and Bill McChesney. Recent track star ascensions in Eugene include the rise of Nick Symmonds and Galen Rupp.  Eugene's fertile training ground promises to yield new crops of dedicated runners as the seasons progress.