all photos courtesy of Vern Rogers

Pre’s Trail is a Eugene treasure that benefits the entire community.  Walkers and runners train year round on a soft surface free of automobile traffic.   Nature lovers enjoy the incredible biodiversity along the trail, including herons, osprey, eagles, foxes, frogs, and hundreds of different plants and trees.   Local schools provide outdoor education along the trail.  Top-caliber high school and college cross-country meets are held on the trail along with local fun runs.  Concert-goers enjoy a pleasant stroll along the trail to reach Cuthbert Amphitheatre. Pre’s Trail also plays a key role in people’s decision to live in and to visit Eugene.  There is nothing like it elsewhere in the U.S. and it wouldn’t exist without many dedicated volunteers and visionaries who work to maintain it as the finest bark running trail in the world.

The Inspiration

Steve Prefontaine ran on bark paths in Scandinavia and New Zealand while competing internationally.  He envisioned a similar trail in Eugene that would inspire the community to pursue running and fitness.   Steve began working with the city on trail designs but sadly did not see his vision realized before his untimely death in May, 1975.  As a tribute to this great runner, the Steve Prefontaine Foundation was quickly formed by his friend Wade Bell.  The Foundation built a 4-mile trail in Alton-Baker Park and it was dedicated in the fall of 1975 with a Steve Prefontaine Memorial Run and about 500 participants. 

The trail length has expanded over the years with several connectors, the surface has been regularly improved, lighting and signage have been added and invasive plants and weeds have been removed.  New partners have been added to maintain the trail: Oregon Track Club, Oregon Track Club Masters and Eugene Parks and Open Spaces and others.  But several things remain constant: the high number of community members and visitors to Eugene that enjoy this treasure daily, and the need for volunteer labor and funds to maintain the trail as the finest bark running trail in the world. 

Here’s how you can help

You can contribute time by volunteering to help with trail maintenance such as shoveling gravel or bark, ivy and blackberry control, spreading bark with a backpack blower, or planting shrubs.  If interested in helping, please contact Mike Olsen or Jack Anderson, the Co-Chairs of Oregon Track Club Pre’s Trail committee to find out more and to sign up.  Mike can be reached at 541-344-9664 and Jack at 541-485-6707

You can also make a contribution to the Friends of Pre’s Trail to help with materials needed for maintenance.  If you would like to donate money for the upkeep and maintenance of Pre's Trail, click on the "DONATE" button below.       

Donations are tax-deductible, and those donating over $75 will receive a specially designed Pre’s Trail t-shirt.

Did You Know????

*When Pre’s Trail is wet, bark absorbs moisture and the trail gets softer, cushionier and slightly slower.  In the summer the trail is drier, harder and slightly faster.  Many people have a favorite level of softness but all get to run on a variety of surfaces by enjoying Pre’s Trail year round.
 
*Studies have found that running on softer surfaces like Pre’s Trail reduces injuries and prolongs a runner’s career.
 
*Pre’s Trail is 4.07 miles long (varies depending on highway construction detours), averages 8 feet in width and averages about 3 inches of bark topping.  This computes to about 4782 cubic yards of bark or 1435 tons of bark that is on Pre’s Trail.
 
*About 18% of the trail (or about 79 tons of bark) is replaced each year.  That’s a lot of shoveling!
 
*Part of Pre’s Trail is on the former Lane County Day Island Landfill site.  Now that’s turning trash into treasure!
 
*Pre’s trail passes through many different habitats over a short distance from open grasslands, hardwood and softwood forests, filbert orchards, and riparian areas.  This keeps it interesting and beautiful year round.
 
*Pre’s Trail has helped Eugene receive many accolades including:
-Women’s Running Magazine – top five trail running destinations in U.S.
-Runner’s World – 10 best running cities
-MadeMan.com – best running trail in the U.S.
-Away.com – top ten college towns
 
*Pre’s Trail is a “destination” that people come from around the world to experience.  It’s been featured in major travel guides, the New York Times and other major newspapers, and on thousands of personal blogs.