Welcome to TrackTown

“It’s an honor to be part of TrackTown,” said Ian Dobson, a track and field Olympian, race director for the Eugene Marathon and a Eugene-Springfield resident. Ian is part of a dedicated group of track and field and running stakeholders working together to inspire greater awareness and participation in our community’s rich track and field legacy.

This season is packed with exciting milestones, including several firsts:

• The new Oregon Team Invitational will feature select NCAA teams.
• Hayward Field will host the Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Championships for the first time.
• The 50th Anniversary of the Prefontaine Classic takes place on July 5.
• The Para National Championships will be held alongside the USATF Outdoor Championships for the first time.

You can get involved in the Welcome to TrackTown movement by attending local events, cheering on athletes at Hayward Field, volunteering, decorating your business with Welcome to TrackTown materials or simply offering a warm welcome to athletes, coaches and visitors. Eugene-Springfield’s place as the heart of track and field and running thrives because of all of us.

For a complete list of this year’s track events and to learn how you, your family and your friends can join the excitement, visit WelcomeToTrackTown. Let’s champion this legacy together!

Get Welcome to TrackTown Shirts and Promotional Items

The Welcome to TrackTown shirts were a hit last year, and we’re bringing them back with an updated design! Order shirts for your business for the 2025 track and field season.

Travel Lane County is offering businesses complimentary promotional items that bring the magic of Hayward Field directly to your customers! To ensure you receive usable items, please fill out this form to indicate your interest and select your items. Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, so be sure to submit your choices soon to have everything ready for the 20th Anniversary of the Oregon Relays in April.

Member News

You're Invited to an Industry Night at Sweet Cheeks

Our good friends at Sweet Cheeks Winery are hosting an industry night honoring hospitality businesses and employees on Thursday, April 17 from 5 - 7 p.m  RSVP  to join the fun. Attendees will receive a 30% discount on all wine purchases.  

Liz Tate Honored by Chamber of Commerce

Liz Tate, Regional Director of Sales Mereté Hotel Management, was named 2024 Emerging Leader by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Congratulations Liz! 

Sand Master Park Cracks Top 100  

Sand Master Park, located in Florence, Oregon, has been named #2 in Oregon's Top 100 Best Fan Favorite Destinations. Oregon’s Top 100 Destinations are selected based on traveler reviews from popular online platforms like Google, TripAdvisor, and Yelp. Researchers analyze tens of thousands of reviews from the past year, tallying and combining scores to measure overall visitor satisfaction. Congratulations Lon Beale (aka Doctor Dune) and the whole Sand Master Park team! 

40 Seats Remain!

Mark your calendar: this year’s Visitor Industry Celebration & Summit is happening Thursday, May 22 at the Shedd Institute for the Arts! With limited seating, this event will sell out. Join us for a full day including a breakfast keynote, engaging breakout sessions, and the Celebration luncheon. Register soon to secure your spot!

Vote EUG as the Best Small Airport

The Eugene Airport (EUG) has been nominated by Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Small Airports 2025. Your vote matters and you can vote daily, so let's help Newsweek Readers know that EUG is indeed the Best Small Airport 2025. Voting closes on April 10, so cast your vote today! 

Main Street Makeover

Cottage Grove has embarked on a complete makeover of its historic Main Street. To assist businesses during the construction, the Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce is encouraging construction workers, locals and visitors to frequent businesses. Promotions include a "hard hat" discount book and a stamp card raffle. Visit six Main Street businesses to be entered in the weekly raffle. Last week's winner walked away with more than $500 in gift cards from Main Street businesses!  "I've added dinner at Jack Sprats on Main Street to my date night at the Cottage Theatre in April," noted Andy Vobora, Vice President of Stakeholder Relations at Travel Lane County. "Cottage Grove is one of our Eugene, Cascades & Coast gems, so plan a visit soon and help keep Main Street strong." 

Governor's Conference Raffle Baskets

The Oregon Tour & Travel Alliance (OTTA) is an independent non-profit membership organization and their primary fundraiser each year is the regional basket raffle conducted during the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism (GovCon is in Portland April 14-16 and has attendance of 500+). These baskets offer tremendous exposure to those in our industry such as DMO’s, visitor information staff, hoteliers, travel writers, and tour operators –the very people you want to help spread the word about your business. 

The assembled baskets typically range from $1,800-$3,000 in value, making them both well viewed and well sought after. Donations can be a gift certificate for goods or services and/or physical items such as sweatshirts, glass floats, or food/beverage items.

Please complete a Donation Form and follow the instructions to send items to OTTA staff. If you have physical items to donate, we are happy to deliver them to OTTA at the conference. Items will need to be delivered to our downtown Eugene office (754 Olive Street) no later than April 7. If you need someone to pick up items, please contact Meg Trendler - 541.743.8759.  Thank you for helping makes this event a success! 

Supporting Our Industry's Future Workforce

Oregon Hospitality Foundation hosted its annual ProStart Program gathering student chefs from around Oregon to prepare a three-course gourmet meal with only two butane burners in under an hour. This year top honors went to Crook County High School. Crook County will head to Baltimore, Maryland to compete in the National ProStart Invitational this May. “Travel Lane County is excited to financially support the Oregon Hospitality Foundation’s Oregon ProStart program and Willamette High School,” said Andy Vobora, Vice President of Stakeholder Relations for Travel Lane County. “The ProStart instructors bring passion and excellence to their classes and the students respond by working hard to attain the skills needed to compete and to prepare themselves for a future in the hospitality industry."  

Connected Lane County is introducing its first Culinary and Hospitality Excelerator. This paid internship program will assist young adults in building fundamental skills in the kitchen and beyond. Participants get hands-on training at Erin’s Table and Spark on 7th, learning essential techniques like knife skills, food handling, and safety. Students will explore the industry's business side by interacting with local chefs and hospitality professionals. 

Lane Events Center Master Plan Open House

Lane County is updating their Master Plan to help guide investment in the property over the next 10 to 20 years. Join the the discussion during the open house at the Lane Events Center on April 3 from 5 - 7 p.m. This is a great opportunity to share our vision for a multiuse indoor sports facility, explore other emerging concepts and help shape a shared vision for the Lane Events Center.