Running News Daily

Prefontaine Memorial Run returns to coos bay to honor a running legend

The annual Prefontaine Memorial Run, a classic 10K run honoring one of Oregon’s most beloved athletes, is returning to the charming streets of Coos Bay on Saturday, September 21, 2024. The run celebrates Coos Bay’s own Steve Prefontaine, the famed Oregon runner who bolted onto the international running scene and helped ignite a running craze in the U.S. in the 1970s.

 “Steve Prefontaine was a legend in the running world in the 1970s, and Coos Bay is where he was born and where he discovered his gift for and love of running,” said Janice Langlinais, Executive Director of the Coos Bay-North Bend-Charleston Visitor and Convention Bureau, more commonly known as Oregon’s Adventure Coast. “The annual Prefontaine Memorial Run not only honors Pre’s legacy here in his hometown, but it draws runners from around the region, the state and the country to come and experience the joy of running on Oregon’s Adventure Coast.”

The 2024 Prefontaine Memorial Run is a challenging 10K road race around the streets of Coos Bay that finishes on the Prefontaine Track at Marshfield High School following one of Pre’s favorite training routes. The event also includes a 2-mile walk and fun run. The 10K starts at 10 a.m., while a 5K high school team competition kicks off the events at 9:45 a.m.

Other pre-related attractions for runners and visitors include a bronze likeness of the famed distance runner at the Coos Bay Visitor Information Center, the Prefontaine Gallery at the Coos Art Museum, which showcases his awards and memorabilia, and the stunning Pre Mural in downtown Coos Bay.

The Prefontaine run will again coincide with the annual Bay Area Fun Festival, a two-day celebration in downtown Coos Bay filled with live entertainment, a parade, food and drinks, vendors, arts, crafts and the Cruz the Coos classic auto cruise around downtown Coos Bay.

The 2024 Prefontaine Memorial Run

What: A 10K run, with a 2-mile walk or fun run option and a 5K high school competition, in honor of hometown hero and running legend, Steve Prefontaine.

When: 10 a.m. Saturday, September 21. (High school competition begins at 9:45 a.m.; wheelchair runners start at 9:50 a.m.)

Where: The corner of 4th and Anderson in downtown Coos Bay.

Cost: $40 for runners 19 and over before September 17; $50 after that date. $20 for runners 18 and under or those in the 2K walk. $13 per runner for the high school competition.

Registration: prefontainerun.net

For visitors coming from out of town for the Prefontaine Memorial Run, Oregon’s Adventure Coast has lodging options for all tastes, from unique hotels and motels to vacation rentals, RV parks and picturesque campgrounds.