From the UO Special Archives
Monthly features are provided by Lauren Goss, Athletics Archivist at the University of Oregon's Special Collections and University Archives
50th Anniversary of Pre’s Trail
September 1, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the official dedication of Pre’s Trail, a soft-surfaced running trail that has become one of Eugene’s most iconic and beloved landmarks. Nestled within the natural beauty of Alton Baker Park, the bark-chip trail is not only a haven for joggers, walkers, and competitive runners, but also a living tribute to Steve Prefontaine, the legendary University of Oregon distance runner whose passion for running continues to inspire generations.
The trail was the first major project of the Steve Prefontaine Foundation, established shortly after his death, and originally chaired by fellow Olympian Kenny Moore. Built with strong community support, including materials donated by local companies, Pre’s Trail represented a new vision for public fitness and accessible running spaces in Eugene.
Prefontaine was deeply influenced by his travels to Scandinavia, where he admired the running trails commonly used there. His desire to bring a similar experience to runners back home laid the groundwork for the design of the Eugene trail. The final plans were developed by Lane County Parks and Open Space including landscape architects Evald Nielsen and Michael Dooley. The project was also strongly supported by the Oregon Track Club and legendary coach Bill Bowerman, who remarked that the trail had “a cash value beyond estimate,” and fulfilled one of Prefontaine’s ideas to create “running and jogging facilities that can be used by the jogger as well as the gifted athlete” (UA 003, Box 35, Folder 17).
“It is fitting, really, that one of the most popular places to visit in Eugene is a jogging trail. Any sightseer’s guide to the upper Willamette Valley must include the path which winds its way through the burgeoning wonders of Alton Baker Park.”
Cover of Prefontaine Foundation Brochure, UA 003, Box 35, Folder 14
Map, June 8, 1980, Register-Guard
The trail’s inaugural event, the Labor Day Pre’s Trail Run, was organized by Jon Anderson and Geoff Hollister, and included 3k, 5k, and 10k distances. The day before the race community members were cautioned to not be “alarmed by the unusual softness of the bark surface. Over time, they explained, “the 10-inch surface will compact to 2–3 inches for ideal running conditions” (August 31 1975, Register-Guard). Entry fees supported the Prefontaine Foundation for trail operations and maintenance. According to the November/December 1975 issue of the Oregon Track Club newsletter, the race featured top regional talent: “Mike Manley had a half-minute lead as he cruised to a 33:55 win on the flat but soft 10,000 m course. Portland T.C.’s 14-year-old Eryn Forbes, back only a day from the Pan Am Trials, ran away with the women’s 5,000 m, clocking 20:30, more than a minute ahead of OTC’s Lili Ledbetter.”
To mark this important anniversary, you can watch archival footage of the trail’s construction and early use:
Trail construction (1975): Watch here
Labor Day Race (1977): Watch here
Today, Pre’s Trail continues to be a vibrant part of Eugene’s running culture—an enduring tribute to a local hero and a shared legacy of sport, nature, and community.
All-Comers Meets: A Summer Tradition
Since 1957, Eugene’s All-Comers track meets have welcomed athletes of all ages and abilities to test their strength and stamina. Children, collegiate competitors, and community members stood side by side on the starting line, chasing personal bests and, at times, world records. Founded under the Emerald Empire Athletic Association—later known as the Oregon Track Club—the meets were shaped by figures such as Bill and Barbara Bowerman, Bob and Carolyn Newland, Tom Ragsdale, and Bud Robertson.
A 1962 program memo described the spirit and purpose of the events:
“All-comer meets furnished an opportunity for varsity athletes—high school and college—to work on their events without the pressures of seasonal competition.”
“The meets also served as a recreational outlet for the past-school athletes and the prior non-athlete.”
“And possibly most important of all, it provided an opportunity for competition of young boys and girls under professional tutelage. The rewards with the age group of 4 to 14 have been gratifying over the years we have watched them develop.”
—From the Bill Bowerman Papers, UA003, Box 30, Folder 4
Register Guard, August 4, 1963
The All-Comers meets also became a testing ground for innovation. On May 29, 1962, a new photo-timer was tested in preparation for the 1962 NCAA Championships:
“A new photo-timer will provide a printed finish photo within minutes—before the next race begins. Developed from a surplus 35mm camera and timer, the system was assembled by B.L. Freemesser and George Farquhar from the University’s photo department, along with Herald Osborn of the physics department. Field superintendent Paul Skolaski even built a shed at the finish line to develop the photos on-site. The device offered a low-cost alternative to the $1,000 fee charged by watch manufacturers for similar equipment at the NCAA championships.”
Even decades later, Eugene’s All-Comers meets continued to be a stage for remarkable athletic achievements. As Cathy Henkel wrote in the Register-Guard on July 17, 1982: “Only in Eugene would an ordinary All-Comers meet set the scene for the extraordinary: two world records, an American record, and a University of Oregon school record.” The records included:
Mary Decker Tabb – World record, 10,000m: 31:35.3
Pat Dixon – World master’s age standard, 10,000m: 44:51.0
Marcia McChesney – American age-group record, 2 mile: 14:05.4
Eryn Forbes – UO school record, 10,000m: 33:55.10
The all-comers meets are more than competitions—they are celebrations of community, innovation, and the boundless possibilities of human performance. This season’s last meets will be held August 6 and 7 at Hayward Field.
This commitment to inclusive, community-based competition endured. As one Register-Guard article noted, “If two athletes ask for an event, it will be conducted. One weekend, 132 separate events were run-off during the two-day meet.” In a 1978 interview, Oregon Track Club President and UO Olympian Wade Bell captured the inclusive nature of the meets: “We run everyone from one to 13 years old on Thursday nights and everyone from 14 to 100 on Friday nights,” Bell said. “If someone was 101, I’d let ‘em run.”
2½-year-old Kenny Andrieu runs a lap at Hayward Field during an Oregon Track Club All-Comers meet in 1973. Photo by Paul Petersen, Eugene Register-Guard
Construction of Kincaid Field
On March 30, 1903, students at the University of Oregon celebrated the idea of a new athletic facility:
“The athletic enthusiasts are jubilant over the prospects of a good football field and a new up-to-date track....Teams were put to work plowing last Thursday and the track will soon be in shape for use. The circuit will be a quarter of a mile in length. Track meets can be held on the University track hereafter and the nearness to the city should insure a larger attendance.”
— Oregon Weekly
Earlier that year, University President Prince Lucien Campbell asked the Board of Trustees to either purchase or lease 20 acres of land owned by Harrison R. Kincaid. The field, located at the northern end of Kincaid’s property and running parallel to 13th Avenue, was approximately where Condon Hall and Chapman Hall stand today. While the football team had already been using part of this land informally, Campbell advocated for a dedicated, permanent athletic field.
Construction of Kincaid Field (UA Ref 3, Box 70)
1889 map of Eugene (UA Ref 3, Box 1)
President Campbell outlined his thoughts in his 1903 annual report:
“After very careful examination and consideration of all available tracts, it seems advisable to recommend the lease of Kincaid Field as altogether the most satisfactory and economical method [of] providing an athletic field for the university. It is ideally well located for the purpose, and will make, if secured, probably the best field in the Northwest.”
— President’s Report, pp. 504–505
After the Board of Trustees formally approved a five-year lease for the property, the Alumni Association launched a fundraising campaign to build a grandstand. In addition to proceeds from football game ticket sales, the campaign attracted nearly 300 individual donations—from students, alumni, community members, and local businesses—ranging from $0.50 to $25. The average donation was about $2, or roughly $80 in 2025 dollars. The resulting grandstand cost $1,050 and initially seated around 900 spectators.
Following the completion of Hayward Field (opened in 1919 for football and 1921 for track and field), Kincaid Field was repurposed for campus development. Today, a small plaque next to the Memorial Quad—placed by the Class of 1924—honors this history:
“To commemorate the loyalty and spirit of those athletes who represented the University on Kincaid Field.”
Fred Moullen, Pole Vault at Kincaid Field, c. 1906 (UA Ref 3, Box 119)
University of Oregon Hosts 1962 NCAA Men’s Track and Field Championships
1962 NCAA Championships Meet Program (UA Ref 5, Box 28)
In June 1962, the University of Oregon hosted the NCAA Men’s Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field for the first time. In the official meet program, University President Arthur Flemming shared a message of pride and purpose:
“It is an event which typifies the best in intercollegiate athletics, and we at Oregon strongly believe intercollegiate athletics can play an important role in the university community.”
The two-day meet, directed by Bob Newland, brought together top student-athletes from across the nation. Oregon’s team delivered several standout performances:
Mel Renfro set a personal best in the broad jump, finishing third, and also claimed second place in the 120-yard high hurdles.
Les Tipton placed fifth in the javelin.
Terry Llewellyn tied for second in the high jump.
Dave Steen took fifth in the shot put.
In the mile, Dyrol Burleson won his third national title with a time of 3:59.8—marking the first sub-four-minute mile in NCAA meet history. Keith Forman finished fourth at 4:04.5.
Harry Jerome finished second in the 100-yard dash and won the 220-yard dash.
Jerry Tarr claimed victories in both the 120-yard high hurdles and the 440-yard intermediate hurdles, the latter setting both an NCAA meet and Hayward Field record with a time of 50.3.
In the final event, the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Mike Lehner and Clayton Steinke placed third and fourth, respectively.
Beyond individual success, Oregon dominated the team competition. With points awarded to the top six finishers (10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1), the Ducks amassed a commanding 85 points. A reporter from The Bend Bulletin declared Oregon as “obviously the best-rounded squad in the country.” The win marked Oregon’s second national championship in any sport—the first being the 1939 men’s basketball title.
Letter from Phyllis Moore to Bill Bowerman (UA 003, Box 8, Folder 7)
Following the victory, head coach Bill Bowerman reflected in an interview with The Oregonian:
“I’m tremendously proud to be associated with a bunch like this one,” he said. When asked about the next season, he laughed and replied, “Let’s just enjoy this for a couple days before starting to worry about next time.”
Ten days after the meet, Bowerman’s secretary, Phyllis Moore, typed up a note of congratulations. She called him “the Greatest Track Coach I know,” and added emphatically:
“CONGRATULATIONS TO A GREAT TRACK TEAM AND THEIR COACH”
A recording of the race is available through the University of Oregon’s archival media platform.
First Sub-4 Mile on U.S. Soil
May 5, 1956, marks a significant date in the history of track and field at the University of Oregon. On that day, James “Jim” Bailey became the first person to run a sub-four-minute mile (3:58.6) on U.S. soil. The first of many sub-four-minute milers coached by Bill Bowerman, Bailey competed in a special mile exhibition race held during a USC-UCLA dual meet at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The race featured Ron Delany (Villanova), world mile record holder John Landy (Australia), and fellow Oregon runner Bill Dellinger.
An Australian national champion in the 880 yards, Bailey thrived under Bowerman’s coaching and captured the 1955 NCAA mile title with a time of 4:05.6. Yet few expected him to defeat his fellow Australian or to break the four-minute barrier. As reported:
“A crowd of 38,543 people started the roar of disbelief, the press box found it hard to comprehend what they were watching, but it kept right on happening – Bailey was catching Landy. On the final turn Bailey caught him, slapped him on the hip, said ‘Let’s go’ and then went on to finish a feat not a person would have given a lead nickel for less than five minutes before.”
Jim Bailey crossing the finish line, May 5, 1956. Photo provided by UO Special Archives.
Jim Bailey running at Hayward Field. Photo provided by UO Special Archives.
The following day Bailey returned to triumphant celebrations held in Eugene:
“Darrel Brittsan, newly-elected student body president, presided as master of ceremonies. After a few introductory remarks, Brittsan asked Bailey how it felt to run a four-minute mile.
‘How do you explain a thing like that?’ Bailey answered.”
Oregon Daily Emerald, May 7, 1956, page 3
A recording of the race is available through the University of Oregon’s archival media platform.