Editor’s note: We thank the NIKE Pre management team (Co-Meet Directors, Jody Smith, John Capriotti, with Jeff Oliver as Communications Director) for their responses to our written questions. We had originally requested a Zoom interview, but NIKE Pre was in crazy time mode.
As someone who has been fortunate enough to have had good access to the buildup and final days of preparation for the meet, I can tell you the following:
The NIKE Pre Classic, in my mind, is a real litmus test of how running is perceived at the NIKE HQ. Notice how that is not answered in the questions answered below.
Tom Jordan championed the legacy of Steve Prefontaine and the NIKE Pre Classic for many decades, and Tom should be appreciated for that, each and every day.
Jody Smith and John Capriotti (and the sports marketing team at NIKE) know that the NIKE Pre Classic has to be the best meet of the year.
Jeff Oliver, Communications director for NIKE Pre, keeps the meet in fans’ minds throughout the spring, building interest in the meet all year long.
Thanks to Jeff Oliver for staying on top of this series of questions. The meet is July 3 and July 4, 2026. You can watch the NIKE Pre Classic LIVE on July 4 on NBC Sports and Peacock!
RunBlogRun, 1. When does NIKE Pre management begin putting fields together for the event?
NIKE Pre Classic: The Diamond League allocates disciplines for each meeting in the fall before the next season. Initial outreach towards putting together the fields begins shortly after.
RunBlogRun 2. Do you work on the event all year long? How big is the full-time staff?
Yes, the organization, planning, and execution of The Prefontaine Classic are yearlong tasks. TrackTown USA’s full-time staff is responsible for planning and executing the organization’s entire portfolio of events, including The Prefontaine Classic. TrackTown USA has a full-time staff of 29 and an additional 30 who join from April to August as seasonal staff.
RunBlogRun, 3. What is the toughest part of the logistics for the NIKE Pre Classic? Visas? Travel? Figuring out food for people from many countries?
NIKE Pre Classic: Living up to the standards set by the event’s namesake – Steve Prefontaine – and the event’s previous Meet Director, Tom Jordan. We take our role as stewards of The Prefontaine Classic’s legacy very seriously. We honor Pre and all those who’ve built the Pre Classic into the world’s best meet by relentlessly pursuing ways to make it better each year.
RunBlogRun, 4. Are there requirements on housing and the number of athletes for the Diamond League members?
RunBlogRun, 5. What will the two-day schedule be for the NIKE Pre Classic in 2026?
RunBlogRun, 6. When does Tracktown USA go total focus for the NIKE Pre Classic?
NIKE Pre Classic: TrackTown USA is focused on the Prefontaine Classic and all the events we support year-round.
RunBlogRun, 7. For many years, the NIKE Pre Classic was, for observers, the litmus test of how NIKE viewed running that year. Is that still a valid comment?
NIKE Pre Classic: No response. This question is best answered by Nike directly.
RunBlogRun, 8. What should fans know about the NIKE Pre Classic that most do not know?
NIKE Pre Classic: While the Prefontaine Classic is revered as an annual Eugene tradition, it is celebrated globally as well. Since joining the Diamond League, the Pre Classic has earned the season’s top competition score among the more than 1,000 annual global invitational meetings five times (2025, 2023, 2017, 2016 & 2013).
