Track Town USA, Eugene, Oregon: Animal House/"Pre" Trails Loop

Date: September 8, 2014     

Time: About 4:30pm.

Weather: Mostly sunny, apx 78 degrees fahrenheit

Terrain: Campus paved walks, cement trails, bark dust trails.

Difficulty: Easy                        

Distance: ~3 miles                     

Shoes:  Nike+ Lunarfly 1.5 "Ducks" Version            

Bonus: Discovering Steve Prefontaine's old running trails

Johnson Hall: Beware the horses within
stricken by heart attacks

Friendliness of Runners Rating (F.O.R.R. or FORR Score):  3/3 - 100% (*see explanatory post)

Runners Engagement Score (RES): 11/10 (It is Track Town USA...)  [**see explanatory post)

I failed to adequately explore Eugene as a runner during my college years there.  Frankly, it is embarrassing that only on this trip did I discover Steve Prefontaine's old running paths on the north banks of the Willamette River.  But in failure comes gained wisdom so they say.

At the invitation of my old college alma mater, I was back in Eugene for both an Oregon football game (we won, thankfully, against a very good Michigan State team) and for a visit with faculty and staff of the Clark Honors College and the Law School.  With an extra hour on my hand before needing to catch my flight, I donned my running shoes and headed out from the central campus.

Helpful signs along the path from campus.

This is an easy route for anyone to take - 30 minutes, mostly flat, and with a half way point that that can be extended for longer distances easily once you get to the warren of paths on the north banks of the Willamette.  Start at "Johnson Hall" on the campus, head north, push past the Mill Race waterway, and then run over the Willamette foot bridge (ask anyone you see - "how do I get to Autzen Stadium?") and you'll be among the many wandering paths and trails that Pre took on his runs.

A pure joy of an afternoon run.

The approach from the UofO Arts Studios area to the footbridge over the Willamette,
 underneath the railroad tracks.

Looking down on the Willamette River from the footbridge.  A good place to soak feet after a run too.

Pre's running trails, nicely maintained by www.OregonTrackClub.org.

One of the many areas north of the footbridge to catch one of Pre's old trails.
 [That is not Zack Galifianakis].

SE of Autzen, in Alton Baker park.  A great place for a breather on a run.

The southern route back, returning to campus over the footbridge.  Spencer's Butte, a popular hiking (and trial running) spot is at center, in the distance.

The end of the run at the Fishbowl, home of the famous "food fight" scene from Animal House.
And thankfully preserved in this phase of the remodeling of the student union.

Running Scores

After reading an article in Runner's World the other month, I decided I needed to add a rating or score to my runs.  Actually, two.

The first is what I call the "Friendliness of Runners Rating" or FORR Score.  It is a completely non-scientific rating of a location's friendliness, drawn from data derived on my run.  I wave at every runner I pass, and note the number of runners that wave back or acknowledge my greeting.  The FORR Score represents the percentage responding in some type of positive, community-oriented manner.  As Runner's World says, we exist in a community of runners.  Whether we choose to participate in that community and get some energy from that community is our own choice.

The second rating is the "Runner Engagement Score" or RES.  It is my equally unscientific assessment of whether a city, town or location is engaging to runners.  Criteria range from ease of getting out for a run, availability of paths or sidewalks, pollution levels, scenery, coolness of experience, etc.  

Readers are welcome to share their own scores or data.  

I've added these scores to my latest Oregon runs and will endeavor to do this for future posts.