On each Fourth of July, certain staples of the holiday such as fireworks and barbecuing can always be counted on,.
For local distance runners, it wouldn’t be the same without the Butte to Butte run.
Butte to Butte will begin its 34th edition at 8 a.m. on July 4th, at 43rd and Donald Streets in south Eugene.
Hundreds, if not thousands of participants have been drawn to the event each year, which features both a 10-kilometer road race and a 4.5-mile fitness walk that stretches from Spencer’s Butte to Skinner’s Butte. First-year race director William Wycoff expects this year’s edition to be no different, anticipating that more than 4,000 runners and walkers will participate, which would easily best the current attendance record of 3,383 set in 2005.
“There has been a resurgence in running events in the last couple of years, especially in Eugene. We’re getting a lot of exposure from the greater Oregon area and outside the area as well,” Wycoff said. “It’s kind of a precursor to the Olympic Trials next year.”
For Wycoff, the community-wide pride that Eugene takes in distance running and track and field as a whole is what makes the event special.
“It represents several things, but mostly, on holidays, it represents community and everybody comes out,” Wycoff said. “Whether they’re fast or slow, run or walk, they’re part of the mass community and being active. It’s a great way to start off the celebration of the Fourth of July.”
Along with Wycoff, former Oregon women’s head track and cross country coach Tom Heinonen, who put together the first course 34 years ago, attributed the surge in attendance with a rise in popularity for distance running as a whole.
“It’s simply increased enthusiasm because of the Olympic Trials and [Oregon] track and field’s increased success in the community, and there’s just more going on in the running community now,” said Heinonen.
All race profits will go directly to the Oregon Track Club, funding “summer all-comers’ meets for kids, promotional activities for the UO track teams, and maintenance of Pre’s Trail,” according to the race’s Web site.
The course’s hilly first mile up Donald Street sets up a second mile descent down Fox Hollow Road before flattening out and following the West Amazon Parkway to High Street before finishing at Skinner’s Butte Park.
“It’s a classic race in that it goes from one side of town to another, and for years now it’s had that wicked first mile that everybody has to deal with right off the bat,” said Heinonen. “Most courses these days pride themselves on being flat and fast … this race is anything but that; it’s a huge challenge for a lot of people.”
New to the race this year are “challenges,” such as the fastest man and woman to the first mile – King and Queen of the Mountain – and fastest man and woman to mile marker 2.2 – King and Queen of the Downhill.
Last year’s race was won by three-time defending men’s champion and former U.S. Olympian in the 5,000m Nick Rogers, while the women’s title was claimed by Sopagna Eap, a former UC Davis runner and member of Team Eugene.
The highest finisher by a University student in 2006 was Jon Terzenbach, a Eugene native and six-time Butte finisher who finished 21st. For him, the key to the race is preparation.
“A lot of people think, ‘This is a pretty tough course so I’ve got to hammer it up this hill,’” Terzenbach said. “Well, the thing is, it’s actually smarter to go pretty easy up that first hill and just get up there. Start the real work when you get to the flat. It’s what most people don’t know.”
Individuals can pre-register at the Eugene Hilton through July 3 or register the morning of the race at the starting line. Entry fees for the race are $18 with a shirt or $12 without through July 3. For those registering on the race morning, costs are $23 with a shirt or $17 without.