Pre's Trail

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Pre's Trail (4 miles), located on the north side of the Willamette River in Eugene, Oregon, aka 'Track Town USA', is a running trail named after heralded University of Oregon athlete Steve Prefontaine. As a teen, Prefontaine appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and then went on to set seven United States national track records, at distances from two to ten kilometers. The woodchip and bark trail also features rich riparian scenery, including grasslands, duck ponds, and woods, as well as guide signs with a trails map at each of three primary trailheads. Near downtown, Pre's Trail is part of an extensive network of running trails in and around the university town and neighboring Springfield. Eugene is also known for hosting several U.S. Olympic athletics trials and National Collegiate Athletic Association national track and field championship meets.

1 History
2 Route
- 2.1 Access
3 See also
4 External links
- 4.1 Photos
- 4.2 Map

[edit] History

'Pre', as Steve Prefontaine is still well known, was impressed with the style and terrain of European cross country running courses while competing overseas. Upon return from Europe, he suggested to local officials building a running trail through Eugene's Alton Baker Park. Within four months of Pre's death, a memorial race in his honor, with around 500 participants, took place on the new trail.

Pre, along with the likes of Frank Shorter and University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman, helped catalyze the running boom in the US during the early 1970s with his aggressive running style and record performances. His dedication to the sport landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a teenager. After his premature death in 1975, Lane County worked with the Oregon Track Club and University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman to design and build Pre's Trail.

Situated to the north and across the Willamette River from the University of Oregon, Pre's Trail is enjoyed by a variety of recreational users in the urban core of Track City USA. The venue is often the site of cross country competitions staged by local schools, colleges and running clubs, and is to be visited on April 29, 2007 by thousands of runners in the inaugural Eugene Marathon.

Prefontaine has also been memorialized by the Eugene community with granite marker near the intersection of Birch and Skyline Boulevards, just across the Willamette River, on the east end of Pre's Trail and Alton Baker Park. The memorial is located on a knoll just across the Knickerbocker bridge, which connects the park to the University of Oregon.

[edit] Route

Pre's Trail undulates mildly on a typically flat river isle, and features large sections entirely covered by wood chips, with some single track dirt trail, gravel sections, and a short swath of asphalt on the Big Loop.

There are three main loops, with interlinking paths:

Southeast (Big Loop), 1.66 miles
Center (Parcourse Loop), .65 miles
Northwest (Bottom Loop), 1.06

[edit] Access

Pre's Trail is located off Martin Luther King Boulevard, near Autzen Stadium.

Pre's trail lies within Alton Baker Park, and is accessible from parking lots at three trailhead entrances, at each the three main loops. There are two footbridges, providing access from the University of Oregon campus, located just across the Willamette River. From campus, the Center Loop can be accessed via the Autzen Footbridge (south of Autzen Stadium, half a block north of Franklin and Agate Streets), and to the southeastern Big Loop via the Knickerbocker Footbridge (near Franklin and Riverview Streets).