Tickets For The 50th Annual Prefontaine Classic Are Nearing $1,000

By now, if you’re still looking for a ticket to the 50th annual Prefontaine Classicthe prestigious track and field meet which also doubles as a mid-season fixture on the Wanda Diamond Leagueyou’re going to have to pay a pretty penny.

As of Wednesday, the expected sell-out at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene on Saturday only showed a few seats available, and they’re going anywhere from $750 to $900 per seat.

Last week, some seats in VIP sections were selling for as high as $1,000 per ticket. And on Monday, according to the TickPick online marketplace, a standing-room only spot was going for $230. The absolute “get-in” for a physical seat was $429, according to Jonathan Gluskin, the co-founder of Branded.

The 2025 Prefontaine Classic feels like the hottest ticket in track and field – and maybe in a lifetime.

With the 50th year anniversary being a key indicator for the demand, it’s showing.

“Our sports commission projects $3.6 million in direct economic impact to Lane County over the Friday and Saturday weekend,” said Andy Vobora, the Vice President of Stakeholder Relations at Travel Lane County.

That economic impact projection accounts for hotel accommodations, transportation, food and beverage, recreation and retail commerce.

“We don’t often talk about indirect spending, but it could be as high as 75-80 percent,” Vobora added.

How Tracktown USA is Preparing for The 50th Annual Prefontaine Classic

Karen Ramming, the Chief Content Officer for TrackTown USA and the organizer for the Prefontaine Classic, has overseen media and event planning for one of the most sought after tickets in years.

She says the demand has been overwhelming.

“We fully expect the event to sell out and be standing room only,” Ramming told me Wednesday.

And fans are not just coming from Oregon. Over 4,000 spectators from outside the state have purchased tickets, while fans from 49 out of the continuous 50 states – the lone outlier being Delaware – and audiences from four countries will be represented.

Out-of-state travelers are what’s driving that major economic number, in part through hotel stays and commerce, Vobora said. The Graduate by Hilton Eugene, a 275-room hotel located in downtown Eugene, is sold out, as are many hotels around the nearby area.

Over 12,500 tickets have been sold for this year’s date, which marks the largest expected crowd for an event at the new Hayward Field since its completed renovation in 2020.

What’s more, the event will come just eight days after the sport lost an icon: Bill Dellinger, the University of Oregon legend and the coach of the late Steve Prefontaine, died on Friday at the age of 91. The legacy of the meet could have a lasting impact.

“He’s my coach,” Matthew Centrowitz Sr. explained of the late Dellinger to LetsRun on Tuesday. “He’s my mentor. He’s my father figure. He was my confidant. He was just everything.”

The stadium, which has previously held the 2022 World Championships and U.S. Olympic Trials, holds a capacity of 12,650.

Often, the newly-rebuilt Hayward Field has never felt full.

On Saturday, that perspective should change.

Why Large Crowds are Expected for The 2025 Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field

Big crowds aren’t new to Hayward Field. But this kind of sell-out could usher in a new era in the new building, which has struggled to fill its space in recent years.

The new facility ushered in modern design, high-end touches and premium amenities like food and bathroom options. But it also lost some of the character and charm which made old Hayward Field a favorite.

The esteemed meet has long showcased some of the world’s best track and field athletes and featured a host of legendary moments, such as Alan Webb’s breathtaking run in 2001 during the Bowerman Mile when he broke an almost unthinkable national high school record, clocking a time of 3:53.43. The high school national record time still stands today.

In 1982, Mary Decker Slaney set a world record in her first 5,000 meter race, running 15:08.26and then came back six years later and broke the women’s mile mark at 4:21.25 in a performance which still stands 37 years later.

Almost every record which has once been set has been broken in recent decades. A new generation of stars like Noah Lyles, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Sha’Carri Richardson and Faith Kipyegon have emerged and synthesized this sport down to its very last meters. But with new equipment and shoe technology and added competition, no time or performance feels safe.

A year ago, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet set a new world record in the women’s 10,000 meters, clocking a time of 28:54.14.

This year’s Pre Classic will have no shortage of stars and recently-dubbed Olympic champions, from Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Cole stoolto Quincy Hall, Julien Alfred, Mondo Duplantis and Faith Kipyegon.

In fact, Kipyegon will arrive in Eugene just nine days after her epic quest for the sub-4 minute mile in Paris, where she clocked a time of 4:06.42 in front of a global audience (the effort was streamed live on Amazon), earning her a new world best at the distance. No women has ever broken four minutes in the mile.

Long-time admirers of the sport will come for the action and will likely fill out every last seat in the stadium.

Nevertheless, the meet is driving demand and this year’s cost of a ticket is feeling like a once-in-a-lifetime sporting moment. With great fields and legendary athletes ready to compete, the Prefontaine Classic feels ripe with opportunity, and fans of the sport may even play witness to a world record.

“This year’s edition has sold more tickets and at a faster rate than any prior edition of The Prefontaine Classic,” Ramming said.