Oregon Track Club
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Track Club is a running organization based in Eugene, Oregon
. Shortened to OTC, the Oregon Track Club has a long history at the pinnacle of American track and field. In the last decade, OTC athletes have begun to compete for the Nike Oregon Project
, pushing the limits of American athletes.
, the Emerald Empire Athletic Association (EEAA) was the predecessor to the Oregon Track Club. In 1948, Bill Bowerman became the head coach track coach at the University of Oregon
, in Eugene, Oregon. In order to spur interest in running with the local community, Bowerman formed an all comers meet for grade schoolers in 1949. The next year the meet was expanded to include high school and college athletes. The success of the all comers meet caused Bowerman to want to increase his efforts in promoting track and field in Eugene. In 1958, with the help of Ray Hendrickson and Bob Newland, Bowerman established the Emerald Empire Athletic Association. Ralph Christensen became the first president of the EEAA, and along with the other leaders established the goals for the EEAA :
1.) To promote youth program for youngsters in track and field.
2.) To provide training assistance and facilities for track and field athletes of all ages.
3.) To sponsor one big track meet each summer as a fundraising event to support the other goals.
, who while running with the OTC placed fourth in the 1972 Summer Olympics
in the men's 5000 meters race , and Mac Wilkins
, who received the gold medal in the discus throw
at the 1976 Summer Olympics
. During this period of dominance, the OTC sent dozens of athletes to the Olympics, won several medals, and would have even more success had it not been for the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott that the American athletes participated in.
.
, hosting a number of major meets such as the 2008 US Olympic Trials, and inspiring thousands to enjoy the sport of running.
. In 2001, the Nike Oregon Project was created and the elite division of the OTC began running under the Nike name. However, even though many runners on the OTC Elite run with the Nike Oregon Project, there are many athletes who train and run exclusively with the OTC Elite and not with the Nike Oregon Project.
was a middle distance runner for the University of Oregon and had a close relationship with many of the athletes in the OTC. Throughout the years, Nike has contributed strongly to the OTC by supplying equipment and sponsoring competitions for athletes to compete against other track clubs across the nation. This relationship has greatly increased with the establishment of the Nike Oregon Project.
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
. Shortened to OTC, the Oregon Track Club has a long history at the pinnacle of American track and field. In the last decade, OTC athletes have begun to compete for the Nike Oregon Project
Nike Oregon Project
Nike's Oregon Project is a group created by athletic shoe company Nike in 2001 to promote American long distance running, using air thinning technology. The runners live and train in Portland, Oregon near Nike's headquarters...
, pushing the limits of American athletes.
Emerald Empire Athletic Association
Formed by Bill BowermanBill Bowerman
William Jay "Bill" Bowerman was an American track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Inc. Over his career, he trained 31 Olympic athletes, 51 All-Americans, 12 American record-holders, 24 NCAA champions and 16 sub-4 minute milers...
, the Emerald Empire Athletic Association (EEAA) was the predecessor to the Oregon Track Club. In 1948, Bill Bowerman became the head coach track coach at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, in Eugene, Oregon. In order to spur interest in running with the local community, Bowerman formed an all comers meet for grade schoolers in 1949. The next year the meet was expanded to include high school and college athletes. The success of the all comers meet caused Bowerman to want to increase his efforts in promoting track and field in Eugene. In 1958, with the help of Ray Hendrickson and Bob Newland, Bowerman established the Emerald Empire Athletic Association. Ralph Christensen became the first president of the EEAA, and along with the other leaders established the goals for the EEAA :
1.) To promote youth program for youngsters in track and field.
2.) To provide training assistance and facilities for track and field athletes of all ages.
3.) To sponsor one big track meet each summer as a fundraising event to support the other goals.
Change to Oregon Track Club
In 1965 the Emerald Empire Athletic Association changed its name to the Oregon Track Club. This was in part due to the leadership's desire to concentrate mainly on track and field. Beginning in the late 1960's, the OTC started to become a dominant force in American Track and Field. Due to the relationship between the University of Oregon and the Oregon Track Club (both in Eugene, same coaches), many athletes from the University of Oregon's strong cross country and track and field programs decided to remain in Eugene to compete with the Oregon Track Club. The most notable of these athletes are Steve PrefontaineSteve Prefontaine
Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine was an American middle and long-distance runner. Prefontaine once held the American record in the seven distance track events from the 2,000 meters to the 10,000 meters...
, who while running with the OTC placed fourth in the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in the men's 5000 meters race , and Mac Wilkins
Mac Wilkins
Maurice "Mac" Wilkins is an American athlete, who competed mainly in the discus throw. He was born in Eugene, Oregon....
, who received the gold medal in the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
at the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
. During this period of dominance, the OTC sent dozens of athletes to the Olympics, won several medals, and would have even more success had it not been for the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott that the American athletes participated in.
Nike Oregon Project
In 2001, Nike began the Nike Oregon Project. This is a program designed by Nike to promote the development of elite American athletes in Track and Field. Using advanced training techniques such as high altitude simulators, the Nike Oregon Project has been helping to push the limits of the elite group of American runners. In order to recruit an elite crop of athletes to their program, Nike began to sponsor the elite level athletes from the OTC as well as bringing several elite athletes from all over the country. There are two groups of Nike Oregon Project athletes, one who live and train in Eugene, and another who live and train at Nike's headquarters in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
Branches of the Oregon Track Club
The Oregon Track Club is made up of three branches: the general club, the elite club, and the masters club.General Club
The general part of the OTC is the largest subgroup in the OTC. It is made up of athletes under the age of 30 who pursue running for enjoyment. Many of these runners had no or little NCAA running experience, but are still running everyday and competing in organized meets because of the passion they exhibit for the sport. Throughout the years, the dedicated members of the OTC have been instrumental in advancing Track and Field in the United States. This has come in several different ways, including but not limited to, helping to design the legendary Hayward FieldHayward Field
Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, is one of the best-known historic track and field stadiums in the United States. Nearly a century in age, it was the home of the University of Oregon's football team from 1919 through 1966, and has been the home to the Ducks' track and field teams since 1921...
, hosting a number of major meets such as the 2008 US Olympic Trials, and inspiring thousands to enjoy the sport of running.
Elite
The Elite division of the OTC has now been swallowed up by the Nike Oregon Project. Before the Nike Oregon Project was created in 2001, elite runners used the OTC as a means to train and compete together against top flight competition. The athletes were not being paid specifically by the OTC, however oftentimes they competed as a team against elite runners from other clubs such as the Florida Track Club and the Greater Boston Track ClubGreater Boston Track Club
The Greater Boston Track Club , a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1973 in Boston, Massachusetts to provide coaching for runners looking to remain competitive beyond their collegiate running careers....
. In 2001, the Nike Oregon Project was created and the elite division of the OTC began running under the Nike name. However, even though many runners on the OTC Elite run with the Nike Oregon Project, there are many athletes who train and run exclusively with the OTC Elite and not with the Nike Oregon Project.
Masters
The masters and submasters division of the OTC is a subgroup of the OTC designed for older members to stay competitive. The masters and submasters divisions have age restrictions to provide fair competition between athletes: 40 years old and older for the masters division and 30 to 39 years old for the submasters division. The OTC's masters division hosts the Hayward Classic, which is one of the premier masters track meets in the country.Current Athletes
The following elite athletes compete as part of the OTC and/or the Nike Oregon Project :- Simon BairuSimon BairuSimon Bairu is a Canadian long distance runner born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After a short stint in Athens, Greece, he moved with his family to Canada at the age of three and was raised in Regina, Saskatchewan....
(Nike Oregon Project) - Amy Yoder Begley (Nike Oregon Project)
- Shadrack Biwott
- Nicole Blood
- Russell Wolf BrownRussell Wolf BrownRussell Wolf Brown is an American professional athlete who competes in the 1 mile and 1500 meter events.-Early life and high school:...
- Ben Bruce
- Kevin Chelimo
- Ian Dobson
- Ashton Eaton
- Shalane FlanaganShalane FlanaganShalane Flanagan is an American distance runner. She currently holds the American record times in the 3000 m , 5000 m , and 10,000 m...
(Nike Oregon Project) - Lauren Fleshman
- Bridget Franek
- Geena Gall
- Adam GoucherAdam GoucherAdam Goucher is a retired American cross-country and track and field athlete. He primarily competed in distance events and is featured in Running With The Buffaloes, a book revolving around the 1998 season of the University of Colorado cross country team.-Background:Goucher attended Doherty High...
(Nike Oregon Project) - Kara GoucherKara GoucherKara Goucher is an American long-distance runner.-Personal life:Goucher was born in Queens, New York. When she was 4 years old her family moved to Duluth, Minnesota after her father was killed by a drunk driver on the Harlem River Drive...
(Nike Oregon Project) - Evan JagerEvan JagerEvan Jager is an American distance runner. He currently competes for Nike's Oregon Track Club and is represented by KIMbia Athletics.- High school :...
(Nike Oregon Project) - Sally KipyegoSally KipyegoSally Kipyego is a runner who competed as part of the Texas Tech Red Raiders cross country and track and field teams...
- Lisa Koll (Nike Oregon Project)
- Julia Lucas
- Tyler MulderTyler MulderTyler Mulder is an American track and field athlete. Mulder was the 2008 NCAA Indoor Track and Field National Champion in the 800 meter run. -High school career:...
- Tim Nelson (Nike Oregon Project)
- Stephen Pifer
- Dathan Ritzenheim (Nike Oregon Project)
- Josh RohatinskyJosh RohatinskyJosh Rohatinsky is an American long-distance running athlete. He was the NCAA Men's Cross Country Champion in 2006 while running for BYU...
(Nike Oregon Project) - Galen RuppGalen RuppGalen Rupp is an American cross-country and track and field athlete, who competed for the University of Oregon and currently trains under Alberto Salazar as a member of the Oregon Track Club. Rupp competed for his native country in the men's 10000 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing,...
(Nike Oregon Project) - Jenna Simpson
- Chris SolinskyChris SolinskyChris Solinsky is an American distance runner. Among his more notable achievements, he won eight state championships in high school and five NCAA Division I championships at the University of Wisconsin...
(Nike Oregon Project) - Nick Symmonds
- Matt TegenkampMatt TegenkampMatthew Tegenkamp is a professional distance runner from Lee's Summit, Missouri. He is the American two-mile record holder, with a time of 8:07.07, set at the Prefontaine Classic in 2007....
(Nike Oregon Project) - Chris Thompson
- Andrew WheatingAndrew WheatingAndrew "Andy" Wheating is an American middle-distance track athlete. Wheating competed for the United States in the men's 800 m at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. He is a professional runner for Nike.-Personal:...
- Jesse Williams
Former Athletes
The following notable athletes have competed in the past for the Oregon Track Club:- Margaret BailesMargaret BailesMargaret Johnson Bailes is an American athlete who competed in the 100 and 200 meters.-Early life:Margaret Johnson Bailes was born in the Bronx...
- Wade BellWade BellCharles Wade Bell is a former middle distance runner from the United States, who competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He is best known for winning the gold medal in the men's 800 metres event at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada.-References:*...
- Dyrol BurlesonDyrol BurlesonDyrol Jay Burleson is a retired middle-distance runner from the United States, who grew up in Cottage Grove, Oregon, United States.He now spends most of his time caring for his goats, llamas, and single alpaca....
- Bill Dellinger
- Paul Geis
- Steve Prefontaine
- Steve Savage
- Les Tipton
- Pat Tyson
- Mac Wilkins
- Lynne Winbigler
- Alan WebbAlan Webb (athlete)Alan Webb is an American athlete. He holds the American record in the mile, with a time of 3:46.91. He competes professionally for Nike.-High school:...
Coaches
The following have coached for either the OTC or the Nike Oregon Project:- Bill Bowerman
- Bill Dellinger
- Frank Gagliano
- Ray Hendrickson
- Bob Newland
- Mark RowlandMark RowlandMark Robert Rowland is a retired British athlete, who was a bronze medallist at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul....
- Alberto SalazarAlberto SalazarAlberto Salazar is an American marathon runner of the 1980s. Born in Cuba, Salazar emigrated to the United States with his family. They ultimately moved to Wayland, Massachusetts, where Salazar competed in track and field in high school...
(Nike Oregon Project) - Jerry Schumacher (Nike Oregon Project)
Nike relationship
The OTC has had a long-standing close relationship with Nike, Inc. over the years. This relationship is due mostly to the fact that one of Nike's founders was OTC founder Bill Bowerman. It is also because Nike's main founder Phil KnightPhil Knight
Philip Hampson "Phil" Knight is an American business magnate. He is the co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc. He resigned as the company's chief executive officer in 2004, while retaining the position of chairman of the board...
was a middle distance runner for the University of Oregon and had a close relationship with many of the athletes in the OTC. Throughout the years, Nike has contributed strongly to the OTC by supplying equipment and sponsoring competitions for athletes to compete against other track clubs across the nation. This relationship has greatly increased with the establishment of the Nike Oregon Project.