The first thing students do in my “track class,” before they ever show up at Hayward Field or even in the classroom, is to read Tom Jordan’s biography of Steve Prefontaine.
If you’re going to cover the big meets at Hayward — and, for that matter, if you’re any student at the University of Oregon with an interest in sports journalism — you need to know the history of this place. That doesn’t start with Pre, of course, but his story is a gateway into why this place is known as Tracktown USA. And once Pre has grabbed everyone’s attention — that’s not difficult, by the way — we move on to excerpts from Kenny Moore’s Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, which gives a broader picture.
So my students were ready when we learned that the Oregon Track Club was planning a Sub 4 Reunion to honor the 10 runners who broke the 4-minute barrier in the mile while running for Bill Bowerman between 1956 and 1970.
It’s a big track weekend here in Eugene. Before the Prefontaine Classic — the best international track meet in the U.S. (most years), run by Jordan, now the meet director — starts Friday night with its traditional, free Distance Night, OTC will relive a big piece of Oregon track history with its reunion event at the Jaqua Center. You can prep for the reunion by clicking here for brief interviews with nine of the 10 men who broke the 4-minute barrier under Bill Bowerman. My students loved chatting with the athletes. We hope you’ll enjoy these highlights from their interviews.
And feel free to check back here or at our Twitter account. The SOJC Track Bureau will cover the reunion tonight, and we’ll have extensive coverage from the Prefontaine Classic: an individual story on every event, from the Diamond League races to the high-school events. Essentially, this weekend is our final exam. It’s just a fun one.
