Latest news with #StevePrefontaine
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Bill Dellinger, Runner and Track Coach Who Mentored Stars, Dies at 91
Bill Dellinger, who ran the 5,000 meters for the United States in three Olympics and then became a successful longtime coach at the University of Oregon, his alma mater, nurturing the careers of such standout runners as the Olympians Steve Prefontaine and Joaquim Cruz and the marathon runner Alberto Salazar, died on June 27 in Eugene, Ore. He was 91. His death, in a care facility, was from cancer, his son Joe said on Friday. At Oregon, Dellinger coached the track teams for 26 years (1973-98) and the cross- country teams for 30 (1969-98). During that span, Oregon won three N.C.A.A. team championships in cross-country and one in outdoor track. In retirement, he coached Mary Decker (now Mary Slaney), probably the best American female middle-distance runner of all time. His coaching success followed a productive running career of his own. At Oregon, Dellinger started as a 5-foot-9, 137-pound miler and won the N.C.A.A. title in 1954. He later switched to the 5,000 meters (3.1 miles), which he ran in the 1956, '60 and '64 Olympics. After winning a bronze medal in 1964, he retired as a runner. As a coach, he was a laid-back philosopher whose athletes called him Bill, not Coach. Many went on to glory. Prefontaine set multiple long-distance records in the early to mid-1970s, won gold in the 1971 Pan American Games and competed in the 1972 Olympics in Munich. He died at 24 in an automobile crash in Eugene in 1975 while preparing for the 1976 Games. The Cuban-born Salazar won three New York City Marathons in the 1980s and the 1982 Boston Marathon. Cruz took the gold medal in the 800-meter event at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. And another of Dellinger's runners, Matthew Centrowitz Jr., won the gold medal in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Bill Dellinger, Track Coach Who Mentored Stars, Dies at 91
Bill Dellinger, who ran the 5,000 meters for the United States in three Olympics and then became a successful longtime coach at the University of Oregon, his alma mater, nurturing the careers of such standout runners as the Olympians Steve Prefontaine and Joaquim Cruz and the marathon runner Alberto Salazar, died on June 27 in Eugene, Ore. He was 91. His death, in a care facility, was from cancer, his son Joe said on Friday. At Oregon, Dellinger coached the track teams for 26 years (1973-98) and the cross- country teams for 30 (1969-98). During that span, Oregon won three N.C.A.A. team championships in cross-country and one in outdoor track. In retirement, he coached Mary Decker (now Mary Slaney), probably the best American female middle-distance runner of all time. His coaching success followed a productive running career of his own. At Oregon, Dellinger started as a 5-foot-9, 137-pound miler and won the N.C.A.A. title in 1954. He later switched to the 5,000 meters (3.1 miles), which he ran in the 1956, '60 and '64 Olympics. After winning a bronze medal in 1964, he retired as a runner. As a coach, he was a laid-back philosopher whose athletes called him Bill, not Coach. Many went on to glory. Prefontaine set multiple long-distance records in the early to mid-1970s, won gold in the 1971 Pan American Games and competed in the 1972 Olympics in Munich. He died at 24 in an automobile crash in Eugene in 1975 while preparing for the 1976 Games. The Cuban-born Salazar won three New York City Marathons in the 1980s and the 1982 Boston Marathon. Cruz took the gold medal in the 800-meter event at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. And another of Dellinger's runners, Matthew Centrowitz Jr., won the gold medal in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Dellinger preached moderation in training. He told Runner's World magazine in 1980: 'Most runners have the false impression that the more miles they can run, the better they're going to be. Mileage is beneficial only to a certain point, and once that's reached, it becomes damaging. I do think holding a runner back is what the true art of coaching is about.' William Solon Dellinger was born on March 23, 1934, in Grants Pass, in southwest Oregon, to Shirley and Avril (Swacker) Dellinger. His father worked for Shell Global delivering heating oil. Dellinger's introduction to track came as a high school freshman when the track coach asked the physical education teacher to have the class run three laps around the track. 'I can still remember the coach waving his arms at me as we came around the first lap, yelling for me to slow down,' he recalled. 'I came around again on the second lap and had a big lead on everyone else, and he's screaming at me to slow down again. I guess he figured I must've been pretty good, because my time for the three laps was faster than any of the guys on the track team.' Dellinger joined the team, and a few weeks later he placed high in the state mile championship. Before graduating, he won it. During college and after, he won three national and two N.C.A.A. titles as well as the 5,000 meters at the 1959 Pan American Games. He broke the world indoor records for two and three miles. And he set American records outdoors, once for 1,500 meters and three times for the 5,000. At Oregon, Dellinger earned a bachelor's degree in 1956 and a master's in 1962, both in education. After college, he spent three years in the Air Force and then taught and coached in high school and briefly coached in junior college. From 1967 to 1973, he was assistant track coach at Oregon under his former college coach, Bill Bowerman, a co-founder of the Nike footwear brand, with Phil Knight. Dellinger coached the United States men's distance runners in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He was elected to several track and field halls of fame. His wife, Marol, died in 2014. In addition to his son Joe, he is survived by another son, David, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Dellinger was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1998, had a stroke in 2000 and underwent surgery in 2012 to have a malignant tumor removed from his stomach. He retired at 64, but he continued to work out every other day on the Oregon track for a time, preferring it to running on the campus grounds or in the streets of Eugene. 'I go to the track in the evening when no one's around,' he told the running magazine The Harrier in 1998. 'I don't like to jog.' Frank Litsky, a longtime sportswriter for The Times, died in 2018. Ash Wu contributed reporting.
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Sportsworld The Warm Up Track 2025: How Cole Hocker won Olympic 1500m gold
Cole Hocker won Olympic 1500m gold in Paris. He describes in depth how the last lap of the race unfolded and how he claimed the greatest victory of his career. Cole discusses the era he's running in and how this period compares to what's gone before. He explains the impact that Steve Prefontaine had on him growing up, from watching videos of his races to drawing inspiration from his quotes. Bearing all of that in mind, Cole gives us a real insight into his decision to attend the University of Oregon in Eugene – meaning he'd be joining the same college track team which produced Prefontaine and so many others. What was it like to embrace that opportunity and the inevitable pressure that came with it? Paris was Cole's second Olympic Games. Had Tokyo gone ahead as planned in 2020, he's doubtful he would have made the team. As it turned out, the delay caused by the pandemic meant that he was ready by the time the Games were staged in 2021. How was the journey through that year's US Trials all the way to the final in Tokyo, and how valuable were all of the lessons he learned? Cole is a real student of the sport and takes us inside why the running community in the United States has always prized The Mile, and it's metric equivalent, so highly. He also discusses why he accepted the invitation to join the inaugural season of Grand Slam Track and, more generally, what he would like to see happen to grow the sport of Track and Field in the US ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Photo: Silver medalist Josh Kerr of Team Great Britain, gold medalist Cole Hocker of Team United States and Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Team Norway cross the finish line during the Men's 1500m Final on day eleven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 06, 2024 in Paris, France (Credit: Corbis via Getty Images)
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pre Classic turns 50: What are the track and field meet's most memorable moments?
Five decades after the shocking death of Oregon running icon Steve Prefontaine, the track and field meet named in his honor continues to carry on his legacy. The Prefontaine Classic, which first took place on June 7, 1975 – two weeks after Prefontaine's fatal car crash on Skyline Boulevard in Eugene – turns 50 on July 5 when nearly 300 athletes from more than 40 countries participate in the Diamond League meet at Hayward Field. Advertisement The Nike-sponsored professional meet would've celebrated its 50th anniversary last year if not for the 2020 meet getting canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The only year the Pre Classic wasn't held in Eugene was 2019, when it moved to Stanford, California, for one year while Hayward Field was being renovated. Virginia prep star Alan Webb, left, and world record-holder Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco begin a triumphant victory lap after running the Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic May 27, 2001. Among the athletes entered in the 27 events for this year's Pre Classic schedule are 98 Olympic or Paralympic medalists – 62 of which were won in Paris last summer – 48 gold medalists, and 14 world record-holders. It's a status-quo collection of talent for the Pre Classic, which is unquestionably the best annual track and field meet held in the United States and regularly named one of the best overall on the international Diamond League circuit. Advertisement 'One phrase I came up with, which I used pretty regularly, people would ask what are your goals for this year's meet? I would say 'To have a meet worthy of the name,'' said Tom Jordan, the longtime Pre Classic meet director who retired in 2022. 'That was always front and center in my mind.' It's hard to recall when the Pre Classic didn't meet that benchmark. Here is a look at some of the most memorable moments from the first 49 versions of the Pre Classic. Memorable moments in Prefontaine Classic history In what is widely considered to be the most noteworthy performance in Pre Classic history, Virginia high schooler Alan Webb ignited the crowd with his final-lap surge to clock a 3-minute, 53.43-second mile, breaking Jim Ryun's hallowed prep mile record of 3:55.30 – a time that had stood for nearly four decades. Advertisement The race, which took place on May 27, 2001, was headlined by world record-holder Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco and 2000 Olympic 1,500 bronze medalist Bernard Lagat, who was in the early years of what would become a long and decorated career. El Guerrouj won in 3:49.92, which was the fastest mile ever run on American soil. But even as El Guerrouj crossed the finish line, all eyes were on Webb, who was sprinting through the final turn and down the homestretch to complete a 55-second final lap for a fifth-place finish. It was the fastest mile run by an American in three years. After Webb crossed the finish line and his time popped up on the scoreboard, El Guerrouj grabbed the youngster by the arm and the world record-holder and U.S. prep record-holder ran a victory lap together as the crowd roared. Advertisement Maria Mutola: Unprecedented success Maria Mutola was an 18-year-old Olympic veteran who had just wrapped up her senior year at Springfield High when she finished fifth in the Pre Classic women's 1,500 on June 21, 1991. She would never lose another race at the Pre Classic. The native of Mozambique went on to win 16 straight races – 12 of them in the 800 – at the Pre Classic, with the last coming on June 8, 2008, during an emotional final appearance on the track at Hayward Field before her traditional No. 1 bib number was retired. Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen dives to beat Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha in the men's 3,000 meters during the Prefontaine Classic Sept. 17, 2023, at Hayward Field in Eugene. Jakob Ingebrigtsen shines during Diamond League final The Norwegian was at the top of his game in 2023 when the Pre Classic was held in mid-September as the Diamond League final, winning a pair of titles and nearly taking down a world record. Advertisement Ingebrigtsen opened his meet with a victory in the Bowerman Mile in 3:43.73, which remains the third-fastest finish of all time and the fastest since El Guerrouj (3:43.13) and Kenya's Noah Ngeny (3:43.40) had an epic dual in Rome in 1999 when they ran the two fastest times ever. The following day, Ingebrigtsen won the 3,000 in 7:23.63, beating Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha by one-hundredth of a second. Ingebrigtsen would set the world record in that event a year later with a time of 7:17.55. Gabriela Szabo vs. Suzy Favor Hamilton: A photo finish A dazzling finish highlighted the race between two of the best women's 1,500 runners in the world on June 24, 2000. Advertisement Suzy Favor Hamilton kicked her way to a 15-meter lead with 200 meters to go and wasn't losing her speed as she entered the homestretch. But Gabriela Szabo was relentless as she slowly reeled in Hamilton to edge her by a hair as they crossed the finish line together. Szabo clocked in at 4:00.73 to 4:00.79 for Favor Hamilton. Szabo's victory came in a meet record and kept alive her streak of two years without a loss. 'I came this close to beating her,' Favor Hamilton told The Register-Guard, holding her thumb and forefinger barely apart. 'I knew she had not lost a race in two years. She looked like she knew it, too.' Advertisement Men's shot put steals the spotlight Long before Ryan Crouser became one of the sport's most dominant and successful performers, a trio of Americans captured the Hayward Field crowd and turned the men's shot put into a must-have event at every ensuing Pre Classic. On May 26, 2002, Kevin Toth, Adam Nelson and John Godina waged an electric battle that had the capacity crowd tuned into every throw. Toth won with a mark of 72 feet, 9¼ inches – then a meet and Hayward Field record – followed by Nelson (72-¼) and Godina (71-10¾). It was the first time three Americans had thrown over 71-10 in the same competition. 'This is Shot Put Town here now,' Toth exclaimed afterwards. 'It's not Track Town anymore.' Mary Decker Slaney, left, on her way to setting a world record in the 5,000-meter race at the Prefontaine meet in 1982. Mary Slaney sets a world record Mary Decker Slaney, in her first career 5,000, broke the world record with her win in 15:08.26 on June 5, 1982. The race also included former world record-holder Paula Fudge of Great Britain. Advertisement The record Decker took down was 15:13.22 set by New Zealand's Anne Audain. The 5,000 didn't become a standard distance in the Olympics and World Athletics Championships until the mid-1990s, when it replaced the 3,000. The inaugural Pre Classic belonged to the sprinters Don Quarrie and Steve Williams traded blows in a pair of hotly contested sprints on June 7, 1975. Quarrie won the 220-yard dash in a world-record time of 19.92, edging Williams in a photo finish. Williams came out on top in the 100-yard dash, beating Quarrie 9.1 to 9.2. Beatrice Chebet from Kenya breaks the women's 10,000 meter world record at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene May 25, 2024. Beatrice Chebet gives historic effort in the 10,000 Utilizing a fast pace set by Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, Kenya's Beatrice Chebet surged her way to a world record in the 10,000 in 2024, winning in 28:54.14 as she became the first woman to run under 29:00. Advertisement Tsegay, who set the world, meet and Diamond League records in the 5,000 at the 2023 Pre Classic when she ran 14:00.21, had vocalized her intention to break the 10,000 record in 2024. Instead, it was Chebet who came out on top in what was her first race at that distance since 2020. Tsegay was second in a PR 29:05.92. The race also doubled as the Kenyan Olympic qualifier and Chebet would go on to win gold in Paris in both the 10,000 and 5,000. Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men's basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@ and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Pre Classic at 50: Top moments from the meet's first 5 decades
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How to watch 2025 Prefontaine Classic on TV, streaming
This weekend is the 50th Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. It is one of the premier track and field meets on the calendar each season, attracting top talent from all over the world. Prefontaine was, and arguably still is, the most famous American distance runner ever. Advertisement His brash attitude, aggressive racing style and willingness to push his body to the absolute edge made him a favorite among fans and runners themselves. 'Stop Pre' shirts became a common sight around Hayward Field in the 1970s. And it's why you still see 'Stop Pre' shirts to this day. At the University of Oregon, Prefontaine won seven NCAA titles in cross-country and track and field and used to hold every American record from the 2,000 to the 10,000 meters. Prefontaine died in a car crash at 24. At his memorial service, Prefontaine was remembered by longtime writer and fellow Oregon Ducks track athlete Kenny Moore, via (Prefontaine) conceived of his sport as a service, in the way an artist serves. Without that, he would never have given us all the records. They were out beyond winning or losing, which a runner does for himself. They came from those furious minutes near the end of a race when his relentlessness and our excitement blended into a joyous thunder. All of us who now say, 'I had no idea how much this man meant to me,' do so because we didn't realize how much we meant to him. He was our glory, and we his.' Advertisement What is the Pre Classic? Fifty years ago, May 30, 1975, tragedy struck the track and field world when Prefontaine was killed in a car crash in the hills of Eugene, Oregon, not far from where Prefontaine became a college star and only days before he was set to compete in a meet. In the days after his death, the scheduled track meet — originally called the Hayward Restoration Meet, to raise money for the deteriorating stadium at the time — was re-branded in his honor and called the 'Prefontaine Classic.' Since then, Hayward Field has morphed into one of the more iconic track and field stadiums in the world, while the meet has become one of the more competitive in the sport. Advertisement When is the Pre Classic? The Pre Classic is on Saturday, July 5, from 10 a.m. MST to 3 p.m. MST. The men's hammer throw is the first event of the meet. For a full schedule of events, click here. How do I watch the Pre Classic? The first half of the meet will be streaming on from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. MST. Then, the second half of the meet will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock from 1-3 p.m. MST. For international viewers, here is how to find out where to watch the Pre Classic. The meet will also be streamed live on the Wanda Diamond League YouTube channel for those not listed in the international broadcast. Advertisement Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How to watch 2025 Prefontaine Classic
