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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 22, 2000)
Classic's national spotlight shines on local economy, too ■Tracktown is ready to strut its stuff this weekend, and local entrepreneurs are set to entertain fans as well By Jack Clifford Oregon Daily Emerald Around the beginning of this year, the city of Eugene somehow gained the label “anarchist capital of the United States.” With Satur day’s 26th annual Prefontaine Classic Grand Prix, however, the spirit of a fellow who was a resi dent here back in the early 1970s — a guy many people considered to be the rebellious type as well — is going to help reclaim the right ful tag for the city: Track and field capital of the world. “It’s fun to see people getting excited about an event that at tracts the best athletes in the world,” Prefontaine meet director Tom Jordan said. “We have the most knowledgeable fans in the country, maybe even the world, when it comes to track and field.” For last year’s silver anniver sary of the meet, named in honor of legendary Oregon runner Steve Prefontaine, 12,247 off-the-field experts crowded into Hayward Field and exhorted the runners, sprinters, throwers, jumpers and vaulters to excel. Before and after the event though, some of those fans wandered the city, looking to boost the local economy. Jordan said exit interviews have been carried out during past Pre Classics and they found that about 50 percent of the attendees were from out of town. Granted, they didn’t come from too far Come out and play 009634 Performance and comfort FOQTWI$E THE BIRKENSTOCK STORE 181 East Broadway, Downtown Eugene • 342-6107 KING KOIL FIRM SUPPORT TWIN SET $169°° FULL SET *19900 QUEEN SET $25900 10-Year Warranty KING KOIL SUPER PLUSH TWIN SET $23900 FULL SET $28900 QUEEN SET $359°° KING SET $45900 10-Year Warranty KING KOIL PILLOW TOP TWIN SET $29900 FULL SET *359°° QUEEN SET $399°° KING SET $599°° 10-Year Warranty Bring in this ad for FREE DELIVERY jt AMERICAN Mon - Sat 9-6 /0*'**' MATTRESS sun 11-5 MANUFACTURING 4075 w .nth 343-2690 away — approximately 25 per cent called the Portland area home and another 15 percent trekked in from smaller towns around the state. The remaining 10 percent were a hodgepodge of Northwest residents. While all those numbers mean that the financial impact to busi nesses such as motels is pretty low, Jordan said, other establishments revel in the mass influx of people. “We certainly get a lot of fami lies in here, and some new busi ness,” said Matt Paul, kitchen manager for Studio One Cafe, which is located one block from Hayward Field. “Our place is a little smaller and harder to notice, but sometimes it does get a bit hectic in here.” Being as speedy in the morning as Maurice Greene is on an oval, however, might help avoid the usual breakfast crush, Paul said. He said his grill is steadily crank ing after about 9:30 in the morn ing, and he sounds like an athlete when commenting on those dish r es that fall just short of perfection. “The one out of every 10 [meals] that don’t turn out exactly right — yeah, sometimes people complain, but for the most part people are pa tient,” Paul said. One might think that certain businesses would definitely see a bump in traffic on Saturday. But at least one owner of a running shoe supply store in Eugene said his shop finishes second to the ac tual event. “Actually we have a decrease in business because most people at tend the meet,” said Gene Solomon, co-owner of Run Pro. “Sometimes we’ll get some out-of town fans in on the Friday before.” Beyond the dollars and cents that end up in cash registers around town, Jordan said the exposure the city receives thanks to an hour of CBS coverage is immeasurable. “We are the only event live from Eugene on national televi sion year in and year out,” he said. “We reach more people na tionally than any other sporting event in Eugene.” The Oregon Track Club owns and manages the Prefontaine Classic, and the organization hires Jordan as an independent contractor. Jordan, who works with a $400,000 budget to put on the Classic, readily admits that this heavily-showcased event is not a money-maker for those in volved in producing it. OTC is a non-profit organiza tion, he said, designed to promote track and field in the area. People around the country may not know much about Eugene’s true claim to fame — its runner-friend ly environment, not its recent, more raucous image — but Jordan said the track and field partici pants know Hayward Field is the best place to create a commotion. “Athletes love coming here be cause they know that their per formances will be appreciated by the crowds,” he said. And local business people don’t mind that appreciation spilling over to them. Right Around the Comer 1 Week Free Fitness. Offer must be activated by 7/16/00. The best equipped clubs around. 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