Time to rename the Prefontaine Classic?

HRE wrote:

whispering willie wrote:

Prefontaine has not aged a day since May 30, 1975.

I was going to say the same thing. The other thing I was going to do was ask what would prevent the Prefontaine Meet, or any other DL meet for that matter, from adding an "exhibition" 5,000 or 10,000 or both? Say the official starting time for a DL meet was 7:30PM or that the last event was to be done by 9:30 PM. Is there some sort of rule that would forbid the organizers from Having a "separate" 5,000 that started at 6:45 PM (to accommodate both men and women) or from having a similar 10,000 that started at 9:40 PM?

There's nothing to stop them and this happens already, but need to consider

1. Does it carry the same rewards as doing it within the DL? eg cash and/or points towards even more cash? How much would you have got last year if you won all the DL 5ks and the final? I think you might have to emulate the pay structure of the whole thing eg points towards running an end of season non-DL final.

2. If its outside the reduced tv slot can we be sure we will actually see it.

Armstronglivs wrote:

Is there another American 4th-placed Olympic finalist it can be named after?

Prefontaine finished 4th.

His fans say: It was a gutsy 4th. He did have the lead at times over last 1200m.

Objective truth: Prefontaine was the seventh or eighth best 5000m man at 1972 Olympic village. Kip Keino would have beaten him. Ben Jipcho would have beaten him. Miruts Yifter would have beaten him. Rod Dixon would have beaten him at 5000m distance.

Prefontaine, a boring loser.

Thanks. I did think of some of the things you mention. Obviously being in DL meets is lucrative as this goes. But with fewer chances to run a really fast 5 or 10 and the need for faster times to get into the Worlds and Olympics there may be occasions when a 5 or 10 is more desirable. And there are always people who can't get into DL meets. Yeah, it would take some working out.

after careful consideration,

off with their heads, all at the IAAF.

done.

go get them today while the time is ripe.

by the way, off with their heads is only a metaphor for fire the IAAF, which i suppose has to be said in light of today's world full of warped characters...

Why not the Bill McChesney Classic? He has faster PRs and still may have the 5000 record at Oregon. Unfortunately, he also died tragically and prematurely in a car wreck.

Canceling the meet would be a major positive for this year 2019, holding it in California is sacrilegious to the namesake, the state of Oregon, the venue, the fans....

Maybe Chappaquiddick too?

The Mossimo Classic has a ring to it.

Kev2 wrote:

Why not the Bill McChesney Classic? He has faster PRs and still may have the 5000 record at Oregon. Unfortunately, he also died tragically and prematurely in a car wreck.

McChesney was a great runner and without so many injuries he might have come close to matching Pre's accomplishments, but he never won an NCAA, open national or Olympic Trials race. Pre won four NCAA 5ks, multiple AAU 5Ks and the Olympic Trials.

As far as PRs, Pre had the faster mile and 10K times and McChesney the 3K and 5K. Prefontaine was also the most famous American distance runner, ever.

Just call it the POSTFONTAINE CLASSIC, hinting at a switcharoo at some point. Anyone who wants to learn the meaning will simply use google and end up on the LetsRun. You know, the Bible of the Sport, LetsRun? All T & F answers can be found on LetsRun.com

EPO3000 wrote:

hot off the press - IAAF dictator dictorium statement.

it the now called the GREAT IAAF3000MAX

iadditional rule, haul down the pre statue and burn it. and make no reference nor advertising about any runner that runs the 5 or 10k.

when that doesn't work, sent it to the land fill, where they put the confederate statues and the

racist founders of america, life george washington.

if the meet goes longer than 1 hour and 59 minutes, Eugene will be cut off from our moral, ethical, pure diamond league circuit.

if the meet contains a 5k, eugene will be cut off from our ethical, moral, pure diamond league old crony, ahole, stuffy boy's club.

thank you, your HONEST IAAF.

...this dude or dudette is the new poster child. Someone named EPO3000 is all hepped up on goofballs.

The Matthew Centrowitz Jr. Classic. Oregon runner, Olympic gold medalist, all around fan favorite. Perfect fit.

Golden Gala

Until British Motor Corporation and Michelob sign on as title sponsors...who gives a shít?

Re-naming the Pre Classic? Will not happen in your lifetime. You have obviously never spent any time in Eugene.

PT in Eugene wrote:

Re-naming the Pre Classic? Will not happen in your lifetime. You have obviously never spent any time in Eugene.

Sure I have... Just pointing out the irony of a meet named after a distance runner phasing out the distance events

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Kev2 wrote:

Why not the Bill McChesney Classic? He has faster PRs and still may have the 5000 record at Oregon. Unfortunately, he also died tragically and prematurely in a car wreck.

McChesney was a great runner and without so many injuries he might have come close to matching Pre's accomplishments, but he never won an NCAA, open national or Olympic Trials race. Pre won four NCAA 5ks, multiple AAU 5Ks and the Olympic Trials.

As far as PRs, Pre had the faster mile and 10K times and McChesney the 3K and 5K. Prefontaine was also the most famous American distance runner, ever.

In college dorms, maybe. But not Shorter, Wottle, Schul - all Olympic champions - or Ryun (a multiple world record holder)? The myth of Prefontaine is just that. A story for kids.

PT in Eugene wrote:

Re-naming the Pre Classic? Will not happen in your lifetime. You have obviously never spent any time in Eugene.

You have obviously never ventured any significant distance away from Hayward Field if you think Eugene or even UO students give a snot about track. They have not even heard of the Prefontaine Classic.

If, only if, and when Nike wants it renamed, it gets renamed. That's who cares.