Oregon Track Club

Oregon Track Club

Hayward Field is the heart of Oregon Track and Field
Abbreviation	OTC
Formation	1958 as Emerald Empire Athletic Association
Location	Eugene, Oregon
Website	http://www.runnerspace.com/oregontrackclub

The Oregon Track Club (OTC) is an American running organization based in Eugene, Oregon.

The OTC has gone through several distinct changes since forming over 50 years ago.

Formed by Bill Bowerman, the Emerald Empire Athletic Association (EEAA) was the predecessor to the Oregon Track Club. In 1948, Bill Bowerman became the head track coach at the University of Oregon, in Eugene, Oregon. In order to spur interest in running with the local community, Bowerman formed an all comers meet for grade schoolers in 1949. The next year the meet was expanded to include high school and college athletes. The success of the all comers meet caused Bowerman to want to increase his efforts in promoting track and field in Eugene. In 1958, with the help of Ray Hendrickson and Bob Newland, Bowerman established the Emerald Empire Athletic Association. Ralph Christensen became the first president of the EEAA, and along with the other leaders established the goals for the EEAA:

In 1965 the Emerald Empire Athletic Association changed its name to the Oregon Track Club. This was in part due to the leadership's desire to concentrate mainly on track and field. Beginning in the late 1960s, the OTC started to become a dominant force in American Track and Field. Due to the relationship between the University of Oregon and the Oregon Track Club (both in Eugene, same coaches), many athletes from the University of Oregon's strong cross country and track and field programs decided to remain in Eugene to compete with the Oregon Track Club. The most notable of these athletes are Steve Prefontaine, who while running with the OTC placed fourth in the 1972 Summer Olympics in the men's 5000 meters race, and Mac Wilkins, who received the gold medal in the discus throw at the 1976 Summer Olympics. During this period of dominance, the OTC sent dozens of athletes to the Olympics, won several medals, and would have even more success had it not been for the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott that the American athletes participated in.

The Oregon Track Club is made up of three branches: the general club, the elite club, and the masters club.