The Prefontaine Classic: 50th Edition Celebration

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

In 2025, The Prefontaine Classic reached a historic milestone: its 50^th edition. Regarded around the globe as the world’s greatest track and field meet, the event serves as a living memorial to distance running legend Steve Prefontaine. 

From throwing a party to celebrate Steve Prefontaine’s birthday to preview shows with media partners, the golden milestone of ‘Pre50’ was celebrated for 10 months surrounding the event on July 5^th. 

The overall “Pre50” campaign carried the spirit of Steve Prefontaine across every facet of the event. 

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

The success of Pre50 has established the “new normal” for our organization. We are not marking the year with an asterisk to lessen our internal expectations, now knowing what we can accomplish with planning and intention. Heading into the 2026 Prefontaine Classic, our benchmarks have been determined by the Pre50 campaign. We are not using Pre50 as just a flash of success, but instead as the momentum to continue building upon the World’s Best Track & Field Meet. 

Objective

July 5, 2025 marked the 50^th edition of The Prefontaine Classic – the world’s best track & field meet that exists as a living memorial to distance running legend Steve Prefontaine.  

For an event of this magnitude, multiple years of planning and strategy went into the multi-faceted execution of its celebration. The Pre Classic had already earned the title of “The World’s Best Meet” by World Athletics, now it was our chance to showcase the history and legacy that led it there. 

Strategy & Execution

In today’s world, the modern sports fan doesn’t exist only in stadium. They also don’t exist only watching on TV, or by only following their favorite team on social media. They’re in all those spaces and more, necessitating an approach for major campaigns that uses as many mediums as possible.

The Pre50 campaign identified its current and goal audiences, then determined the best way to reach them and in what way. As a small team existing in the highly saturated environment of sports content, we understood the need to prioritize and be intentional with the campaign’s execution. Not every piece of content or message was destined for every segment of the audience to ensure we maximize our limited resources and do our best to cut through the noise with focused implementation. We also understood that not every piece of this campaign was intended to come from our owned channels. We partnered with multiple media outlets, as well as ensured content and messaging were easily accessible to all competing athletes to leverage their channels.

That intention, coupled with a visually striking art direction and clear event message, resulted in a campaign that far surpassed all internal goals for reach and revenue.

Organizations

• The Prefontaine Classic (a subsidiary of TrackTown USA)

Links

•   Website

Featured

• Athletes who made significant impact on the event in its first 49 editions were honored in-person

• and/or used in the event’s creative elements. 

  Perhaps most notably was the return of Maria Mutola

• the Pre Classic’s winningest athlete of all-time with 16 victories in the Pre Classic 800m and 1000m to her name. Part of the meet’s 50^th edition celebration included the dedication of the women’s 800m to Mutola
• henceforth known as the “Mutola 800m.” Pre Classic flew Mutola from her home in Mozambique to the event
• her return to Hayward Field for the first time since retiring from professional competition. 

  All other athletes listed below were hosted in-person by the meet at Hayward Field

• and/or participated in media surrounding the history of the meet
• and/or appeared in marketing collateral.  

  Heritage athletes hosted in-person: 

  • Gail Devers

  • 3x Olympic Champion 

  • Reece Hoffa

  • World Champion and 2x Olympic finalist 

  • Bernard Lagat

  • 5x World Champion 

  • Maria Mutola

  • Olympic Champion and world record-holder 

  • Connie Price Smith

  • Olympian and 5x National Champion 

  • Alan Webb

  • Olympian and 4x National Champion 

   

  Heritage athletes with media appearances on behalf of the meet: 

  • Maria Mutola 

  • Gail Devers 

  • Bernard Lagat 

  • Alan Webb 

   

  Current professional athletes used for Pre50 brand and cobranded product promotion:

  • Cole Hocker

  • Janee' Kassanavoid

  • Sinclaire Johnson

  • Elliott Cook

   

  Current professional athletes who headlined the meet and promoted it through their digital channels and coordinated media appearances:

  • Sha'Carri Richardson

  • Sydney McLaughlin Levrone

  • Julien Alfred

  • Melissa Jefferson

  • Cole Hocker

  • Yared Nuguse

  • Grant Fisher

  • Faith Kipyegon

  • Georgia Hunter-Bell

  • Jessica Hull

  • Tara Davis-Woodhall

  • Jasmine Moore

  • Malaika Mihambo

  • Hunter Woodhall

  • Orla Comerford

  • Noah Malone

  • Joe Kovacs

  • Leonardo Fabbri

  • Rajindra Campbell

  • Mondo Duplantis

  • Sam Kendricks

  • Ersu Sasma

  • Mary Moraa

  • Athing Mu

  • Jemma Reekie

  • Kishane Thompson

  • Christian Coleman

  • Quincy Hall

  • Matthew Hudson-Smith

   

  Current and heritage athletes featured on the meet’s poster

• printed and distributed to all fans: 

  • Steve Prefontaine

  • Maria Mutola

  • Sha'Carri Richardson

  • Alan Webb

  • Hicham El Guerrouj

  • Gail Devers

  • Lance Deal

  • Rai Benjamin

  • Reese Hoffa

  • Brittney Reese

  • Mary Decker Slaney

  • Keely Hodgkinson

  • Connie Price Smith

  • Sonya Richards-Ross

  • Valarie Allman

  • Ryan Crouser

  • Joe Kovacs

  • Jakob Ingebrigtsen

  • Michael Johnson

  • Mondo Duplantis 

   

  Current and heritage athletes prominently featured in fan festival design: 

  • Steve Prefontaine

  • Maria Mutola

  • Mac Wilkins

  • Leann Warren

  • Mary Decker Slaney

  • Joaquim Cruz

  • Lance Deal

  • Sergey Bubka

  • Gail Devers

  • Michael Johnson

  • Liu Xiang

  • Sonya Richards-Ross

  • Galen Rupp

  • Faith Kipyegon

  • Elaine Thompson-Herah

  • Chase Ealey 

   

  Current and heritage athletes prominently featured in athlete hotel design: 

  • Steve Prefontaine

  • Maria Mutola

  • Alan Webb

  • Brittney Reese

  • Connie Price Smith

  • Gail Devers

  • Lance Deal

  • Mary Decker Slaney

  • Michael Johnson

  • Reese Hoffa

  • Sonya Richards-Ross 

   

  Athletes prominently featured in the event’s commemorative printed program: 

  • Steve Prefontaine

  • Maria Mutola

  • Alan Webb

  • Galen Rupp

  • Brittney Reese

  • Bernard Lagat

  • Gail Devers

  • Connie Price Smith

  • Andrew Wheating

  • Hicham El Guerrouj

  • Kevin Sullivan

  • Eliud Kipchoge

  • Craig Mottram

  • Mutaz Barshim

Credits

Jake Willard
Brand Director
TrackTown USA

Justin McIntyre
Art Director
TrackTown USA

Natalie Baltierra
Sr. Manager, CRM Marketing
TrackTown USA

Natalie Uhl
Director, Digital Marketing & Communications
TrackTown USA

Maddy Castleberry
Social Media Producer
TrackTown USA

Jeff Oliver
Sr. Manager, Media Relations and Operations
TrackTown USA

Karen Ramming
Chief Marketing Officer
TrackTown USA

Myelle Norton
Social Media Intern
TrackTown USA

Owen Murray
Media Intern
TrackTown USA

Rian Yamasaki
Photography Intern
TrackTown USA

Sage Veek-Petersen
Video Production Intern
TrackTown USA

Annie Boos
Director, Video Production
TrackTown USA

Tyler DeWaard
Creative Producer / Editor
TrackTown USA

Kennedy Schull
Director of Ticketing and Customer Experience
TrackTown USA

Danny Bowman
Sr. Manager, Engagement
TrackTown USA

Kate Walkup
Social Media Manager
TrackTown USA

Howard Lao
Lead Photographer
TrackTown USA