2021 Prefontaine Classic

Ok, sports fans….

The Prefontaine Classic is possibly the best one-day track meet in the world. Normally held in June, this Covid/Olympic year does a Vitamix job on the schedule, so it’s now on the books for August. 

I’m asked to be Chief Umpire this time. Instead of minding my 50 yards of the track, i have to organize and account for 12 officials. Finding out who is available for the meet is the easiest part: this is a fun event  to attend, so pretty much everyone wants in. 

But then I have to figure out who goes where, for which events…

A lot of that scribble is highly classified code for “keep your eyes open and look as invisible as possible.”

Seriously, this is a great meet, especially because there were something like 60+ Olympic medalists showing up. There must have been a nice budget for appearance money. And since this is mostly a pro meet, the incidence of fouls and malfeasance is usually very low. 

Since I’m now working out of Seattle, I have to fly to Eugene, then hitch a ride to Bend after the meet so i can have a few days poaching in the hot tub before I fly back. Kinda fun jumping thru the airport regularly!

Friday noon, everyone is trying to get to Eugene, and the plane is packed. I’m wearing the appropriate gear: my Drake (Iowa) Relays polo, courtesy of my man Suds. 

#Traitor

How come no one else on the plane has these? 

First time I’ve ever had boxed water…

I’ll Uber from the Eugene airport into town, right? Nope. Uber is charging $50 and has a 45 minute wait. Meanwhile, I’m important and need to get my act together. 

Then I notice this….

A lonely driver with no one to talk to. He’s going to the main hotel downtown, and mine is closer to the track. Since he has no other takers, I ask if I can hitch a ride. He says sure and we take off. 

As we pull in downtown, he points out another shuttle going to the track, very close to my accommodations. I thank him and hustle thru the hotel lobby. 

First person I see? Craig Engels, a brutal 4th place at the Trials 1500. His face two months ago, after realizing he just got spanked by a couple of college kids…

I jump on the second shuttle, a full size coach bus. No one else onboard. I ask the driver if she can possibly drive 3 blocks past the track and drop me at my hotel. She says, “You were never on this bus.”

What bus? 

I arrive at the hotel an hour before check-in. So I politely ask if somehow I can get into a room now, because, you know, I’m kind of a big deal. “Oh absolutely, Mr Campbell.”

Never hurts to ask.  Three simple questions, three answers in the affirmative. 

Home again!!

Nice light show from the Tower…

Section 109 is severely lacking…this is where RJ, Joanie, and the Peanut Gallery were stationed during the Olympic Trials. #NotTheSame

This meet is a two day event, Friday nite and the main deal on Saturday with international TV. 

Friday nite: my man Craig Engels takes the lead in the mile coming off the last turn and starts waving at the crowd. Too soon, my man; he gets pinched in the last 20m and looks like a fool, but at least he laughs about it. 

The track has a dynamic light system on the inner rail that we use to pace the runners to a world record attempt at the women’s 5000. Sifan Hassan just completed a historic triple at the Olympics, with two gold and a bronze. Now she tries for an alltime mark, but clearly is tired from a long year. Still an impressive time. 

I’m doing my best to watch the officials and not the races, so i don’t sneak a peak at the women’s steeplechase until the final stretch. The winner is cruising well under 9 minutes, and Courtney F is not far behind. When she sees the clock with 15m to go, it’s party time for the first American to break that barrier.  Everyone thought Emma would be the first, but Courtney clearly wins in the ‘celebration’ category. Pure joy. 

Noah shakes off the Tokyo funk in the 200m and rocks the house. But where is the high school kid from Tampa who placed third in the Trials? Guessing he’s at band camp with a juice box in his backpack. 

Women’s 100. Sigh….Sha’Carri made quite a splash at the Trials and with her very admirable admission about the pot use. Today would have set her up for life had she run well. Instead, she went backwards in the race, and farther backwards in the interviews. Then she disses a very supportive Allyson Felix. Bad career move…git yourself a PR person and pay attention. #OpportunityLost

Women’s 800….it’s all Mu, all the time. Trenton NJ’s best prospect since Pork Roll comes into town with her two Olympic Golds and leaves with another record. She left A&M after one year; her Nike signing bonus alone set her family up for life. You go, girl…….and Sha’Carri could learn MUCH about public relations from Athing. 

Men’s Shot Put. So fun to watch these behemoths. Just good guys. Except their victory laps are measured with a calendar, not a stopwatch. 

And the Nordic One, the kid from Norway, runs a Bowerman Mile record, the fastest on American soil, and made it look easy. I think we all need some more lutefisk in our diet. 

Folks in the know are saying this was the best one-day meet in history. 

I’m not arguing.