Volume 111 | April 2020 Download a PDF of this newsletter here!

Editor’s note: The cancellations, suspensions, and rescheduled events listed in this article can be superseded by state or national decisions concerning the pandemic and/or changes by the event organizer.

A recent headline from an international sports website reads “The Deadly Virus that has Killed Off Sport.” Track Town has been impacted by the Coronavirus just like every community in the U.S. and around the world. Here is a list of the local and state track and field, road racing, and fitness events and their status as of March 27.

Oregon Track Club Run/Walk Series. The April 9 event is canceled. The May 14 event is still scheduled. OTC Board meeting. The April 1 meeting is canceled. . Still scheduled for June 6-7 but all Diamond League meets scheduled for May have been postponed. Butte to Butte road race. Still scheduled for July 4. All Comers Meets. No dates have been set due to the pandemic.

Explore the status of other events

Johnson, Thomas, and West Honored by the USTFCCCA

The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USATFCCCA) recently honored UO Coach Robert Johnson as the West Region Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year. The USATFCCCA also named UO Assistant Coach Ben Thomas the organization’s West Region Men’s Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year. UO Senior James West was selected as the Men’s West Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.

Thomas is also one of three national finalists for USTFCCCA Men's (Team) Assistant Coach of the Year. Robert Johnson Ben Thomas James West

"NCAA is a Ghost Town"

The Coronavirus has had a profound impact on track and field all over the world. Athletes, coaches, and fans are feeling the effects. Another group coming to grips with the cancellations and suspensions are track and field officials. Many have turned to social media to express their feelings.

Here are a few Facebook posts by U.S. officials:

“NCAA is a Ghost Town.” Jennifer from California

“Well, the high school and college track meets I was scheduled to work are all cancelled. I did go and walk around a local high school track and field event area as I would do before a meet. Strange with no athletes there. I even dreamed last night of working a track meet. I guess dreams will have to do for now.” David from Pennsylvania

Read what Holly, Teena, and others posted

Fourth in a series In a Hurry for Kartoffelsalat by Tom Jordan

​Editor’s note: Tom Jordan has been the Prefontaine Meet Director for 35 successful years. OnTrack asked Tom to share his top five Prefontaine Classic memories during this, his last year as the Pre Classic Director.

Tom agreed to our request, and we will publish his personal highlights in a series of five articles. This is the fourth article in the series. Note, these memories will not be competition highlights. A ranking by experts of Pre meet competition performances through 2014 may be found at PreClassic.com, the official Prefontaine Classic website: Top 40 All-time.

As long as they were physically capable, ’s parents never missed a Prefontaine Classic. Of course, to Ray and Elfriede, he was always Steve or Stevie. They were as humble and soft-spoken as their son had been brash.

Read about Tom and the State Trooper

Tom Jordan

Out of the Blocks: ​Creative Stay at Home Options

By Kevin Marbury, OTC President

COVID-19 has been top of mind for everyone these days and as each day unfolds it seems even more of our every waking moment is being spent on it. It is my hope that each of you are doing everything you can to ensure the safety and wellbeing of yourselves and your loved ones. I am encouraged by some of what I see in our community here in Eugene/Springfield. At the same time, I am concerned that what we see happening around the country and around the world will become our reality very soon.

See Kevin’s virtual tour links

Kevin Marbury

Eclectic Edge Racing Hosts Virtual Run/Walk

Eclectic Edge Racing has announced a virtual running and walking event from April 15 to 19 called the Great Community Fund Run. The innovative health and fitness event offers perfect timing during the current social distancing environment.

Eclectic Edge, an OTC Business Member, encourages participants to run (or walk) at their chosen distance, at their own pace, and whenever and wherever they wish. “You can choose to be competitive with your friends or yourself while not traveling to a race. Encourage your friends to sign up, agree on a time to run and then share your success with one another in the official Facebook event page,” the company’s website noted.

This virtual event even includes a race bib, a custom event shirt, and a finisher’s medal.

When you sign up, choose from one of four organizations that your run will benefit: Food for Lane County, American Red Cross, Direct Relief, or the United Way. Proceeds from this event will go directly to your chosen beneficiary. Go here for event information and to register (registration link is at the bottom of the page).

Olympic Trials Volunteer Website is Open

Online volunteer registration for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials is still available. If you are interested in volunteering for the Olympic Trials, you can do so on the volunteer website. Go here to register.

The Trials are going to be rescheduled due to the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. The dates for the Trials have not been announced at the time this newsletter was distributed.

The TrackTown USA organization has stated, “Once a new date for the Olympic Trials is announced, we will reach out to all registered TrackTown20 volunteers to inform you of the new date, to confirm your availability for volunteering, and to share a new timeline for the assignment of volunteer roles and shift selection.” The organization went on to say, “Although it is not yet clear how long it may take to finalize a new date for the event, our Local Organizing Committee stands ready to welcome the best athletes in the country to the ’s once a decision is reached.”

Unprecedented Times

From the desk of Michael Reilly, TrackTown USA CEO

OTC Family,

We are in unprecedented times. I know there is a lot of uncertainty in our community and in the world right now. For broader updates from TrackTown USA, make sure you are signed up to receive our emails and newsletter here.

I would like to offer a simple “thank you” to everyone reading this for taking care of yourself and taking care of each other. I encourage us all to continue following the guidance of public health professionals, respecting social distancing protocols, and being kind to one another. We are all in this together, and we will get through it together. Michael Reilly

Be safe and stay healthy.

Social Worker Meets Race Walker and a Wonderful Partnership is Born

By Joey Blum

Maureen Pollock and Goetz Klopfer are not sit-around types. I was lucky to catch up with them before they left for Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Conversation with these two ranges widely from Goetz’s birth in Germany, to Maureen’s career in oncological social work; to Lebanese food (Maureen’s heritage), and to Goetz’s experience competing in two memorable Olympic Games charged with protest and tragic violence. The 1968 and 1972 Olympics have historical significance beyond the games themselves, and Goetz has memories and thoughts about both that will be better appreciated if you speak with him in person.

Read about the racewalk romance

The busy Track Town couple, Goetz Klopfer and Maureen Pollock.

Hayward Classic is Still on Hold

The OTC Masters had high hopes the OTC Hayward Classic could be held this year at the new Hayward Field. Due to construction timing, and the current pandemic, the popular Classic meet will have to wait until 2021.

The Hayward Classic normally draws top Masters-level athletes from across the U.S. and other countries. The 2018 meet produced three World records and one American record. In 2017 at Hayward Field, the Masters athletes set four world records, plus one American and one Canadian record. The meet was not held in 2019 because of the Hayward Field construction.

The OTCM plans to resume holding the Hayward Classic annually starting next year. Hayward Classic updates will be published as they become available in OnTrack.

Oregon Track Club MASTERS News Meet Opportunities for Masters Athletes

Editor’s note: Normally we publish a list of track and field and cross country meets for Masters athletes and for the OTC Athletics Team. The pandemic has caused all the April meets to be postponed or canceled. The May issue of this newsletter will list meets, if any, that are still scheduled for May. Thank you to Tom Pattee for volunteering each month to identify meets that accept Masters athletes

OTC Elite's Kipyego Earns Olympic Marathon Berth

​By Curtis Anderson, OTC Elite Press Officer

Oregon Track Club Elite's completed an unlikely comeback with a gutsy third-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta, GA on Feb. 29. The 34-year-old Kipyego, who struggled to regain her fitness after giving birth in 2017 to daughter Emma, somehow summoned the courage over the final few miles to earn a spot on the podium with a time of 2 hours, 28 minutes, 52 seconds.

Read Sally’s account of the race

High School Championships Moved from Hayward Field

The Oregon High School Track and Field Championships, originally scheduled to be held at the University of Oregon, will be held at two different venues due to Hayward Field construction timelines.

The new arrangement has the 1A, 2A, 3A schools at Western Oregon University in Monmouth on May 29-30. The 4A, 5A, and 6A schools will compete at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, also on May 29-30.

This schedule is tentative and depends on the pandemic guidelines from the state and federal authorities.

Penn Relays Canceled, First Time in 125 Years

The University of Pennsylvania announced in mid-March that the 126th annual Penn Relays had been canceled. The Nation’s oldest track and field event was scheduled for April 23-25.

This is the first time the event has been canceled in its 125- year history. The Relays date back to 1895. The university hopes to host a substitute track meet at a date in late May or early June.

Why Die? The Extraordinary Percy Cerutty, Maker of Champions

By Graem Sims 327 pages, Lotham Books, 2003

A heavy smoker, Australian postal worker Percy Cerutty, 43, is dying. But he is reborn as a half-stoic and half-Spartan coach (a Stotan). He briefly trained runners John Landy and Ron Clarke, but they considered him daft, so he settled on training, and training with, young Herb Elliott and others. They trained at Cerutty's beach camp. Forsaking intervals, they ran barefoot on sand, and did repeats on towering dunes. They hefted weights and ate a vegetarian diet which was considered bizarre at the time for runners. It worked! Elliott won the 1500m gold medal at the 1960 Olympics. Review by Don McLean, OTC member.

Send us a brief comment (maximum 75 words) of why you like a particular book or article about track and field, road racing, or fitness. Please include the full title and author’s name. Email: [email protected].

Business Members

Brown Contracting, Inc. Let's Move LLC Cameron McCarthy, GOLD LPL Financial D2000 Safety, Inc. Mike Fanelli Dr. W. Gray Grieve Orthodontics, GOLD North by Northwest Relays Eclectic Edge Racing, GOLD Prichard Partners, Inc. Eugene Airport, GOLD RBC Wealth Management, Todd G. Bosworth Eugene Running Club, GOLD Rexius Forest By-Products, GOLD Eugene Running Company Run Hub Northwest, GOLD Eugene Wellness Center Runnerspace, GOLD Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports Commission Runnin' Wild, GOLD Garden Way Chiropractic Sapient Private Wealth Management Gleaves Swearingen LLP, Attorneys at Law Sightline Building Inspections Handy Ed Construction The Carpet Company Hutchinson, Cox, Coons, Orr & Sherlock, P.C. Trisha Kluge, LMT Innovative Print Group Tyree Oil, Inc., GOLD ​Jon and Terri Anderson, GOLD Valley River Inn, GOLD Kalen Electric & Machinery, Inc. Wilson Sound and Lights Kernutt Stokes LLP

Events Calendar

Compiled by Wendy Montenegro April May 1: CANCELED - OTC Board Meeting, 7:00 a.m., 3: POSTPONED - Eugene Peace Run, 10K, 5K, Valley River Inn 9:00 a.m., Eugene 4: POSTPONED - Shotgun Trail Blast, 50K, 25K, ​5: CANCELED - TrackTown Tuesday, 6:00 p.m., 10K, 5K, 8:00 a.m., Marcola Downtown Athletic Club 5: CANCELED - TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., 6: OTC Board Meeting, 7:00 a.m., Valley River Inn Autzen Stadium 9: Salsa Saturday, 5K, 6:00 p.m., Eugene 5: POSTPONED - Run With The Cops, 5K, 1:00 9: Southern Region Championship, Lane p.m., Springfield Community College 7: CANCELED - TrackTown Tuesday, 6:00 p.m., 10: CANCELED - Parenting Now! Mother's Day Downtown Athletic Club 5K, 10:00 a.m., Eugene 9: CANCELED - OTC Run / Walk Series, 10K, 5K, 14: OTC Run / Walk Series, 5K, 6:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., Eugene Eugene 12: CANCELED - TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., 14: CATCH 3K Fun Run/Walk, 6:00 p.m., Veneta Autzen Stadium 16-17: CANCELED - PAC 12 Championships, 15-19: Virtual Community Fund Run, anytime, any Hayward Field distance, Go here for information 17: Bark In The Park, 10K, 5K, 2K, 8:30 a.m., 18: RESCHEDULED for 8/22 - Save The Bee, 5K, Eugene 10:00 a.m., Richardson Park 18-19: NWAC Region Championships, Mt. Hood 19: CANCELED - TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., Community College, Gresham Autzen Stadium 23: Ridgeline Ramble, 20K, 10K, Relay, 8:00 a.m., 19: RESCHEDULED for 5/31 - Run For Autism, Eugene 8K, 5K, 2:00 p.m., Eugene 25: Miles On Memorial, 15K, 10K, 5K, Relay, 9:00 26: CANCELED - TrackTown Fitness, 8:00 a.m., a.m., Eugene Autzen Stadium 27: TrackTown Youth League, 5:30 p.m., Lane Community College 28-29: CANCELED - NCAA West Preliminaries, Lawrence, Kansas 29-30: High School Championships, 1A, 2A & 3A, Western Oregon University 29-30: High School Championships, 4A, 5A & 6A, Mt. Hood Community College

Always confirm event with event host.

Many thanks to Curtis Anderson, Joseph Blum, Michael Cahn, Jessi Gabriel, Bettina Huber, Bill Kelly, Kevin Marbury, Don McLean, Wendy Montenegro, Tom Pattee, Michael Reilly, Matt Scherer, Phil Sutton, Nathaniel Teich, Jennifer Touchette (graphic designer), Dave Wilkins, and the OTC administrator for their support of this newsletter. Please contact Jennifer Touchette at [email protected] or Phil Sutton at [email protected] if you have newsletter questions, comments, or content. © 2019-2020, Oregon Track Club, All rights reserved.

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Oregon Track Club Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. PDT 2350 Oakmont Way, Suite 201, Eugene, OR 97401 • Phone: 541-343-7247 Email: [email protected]