Nearly 50 Years of Prefontaine: Women Runners on What It Takes to Run the World

Emma Coburn competes at the 2022 Prefontaine Classic. Photo by Mikeisha Kelly

By Cassie Cole

The 2022 Prefontaine Classic marks 50 years since “the greatest track and field year in the history of the state” and 47 years since the first Prefontaine Classic was held. But in nearly half a century of track and field, the sport still has areas for improvement, particularly in recognizing women in track and field.

Women’s track and field has grown a lot in the last 50 years. From seven women’s events at the 1975 Prefontaine Classic up to 13 events in its most recent iteration, it’s safe to say that women are becoming more involved in the sport.

“I think the sport, especially on the women’s side, has just jumped by leaps and bounds in the last 50 years,” said middle-distance runner Allie Wilson. “I think it’s really incredible how far we’ve come.”

More events do not mean more attention, however.

“Yes, track and field doesn’t get the attention it needs, but the women in track and field don't get the attention they need,” said Olympian Raevyn Rogers. “The talent has always been there but I feel like the respect is starting to line up.”

Respect has been lacking in women’s track and field, and the athletes can feel it. Although The Prefontaine Classic is big news in the running world, it doesn’t compare to the amount of attention put toward other sports such as football and basketball. The rise in respect for track and field opens the door to making the sport more prominent.

“I think I want it to keep developing and become a more dominant, professional sport,” said sprinter Jenna Prandini. “Be a profession that so many people can be a professional athlete in, and not just participate in.”

Participation starts with representation. For the casual runner, female track and field athletes are not just professionals to look up to, but representatives of who a woman can be and what the human body is capable of.

“I think women are some of the strongest beings in the planet,” said Wilson. “I think everyone has just continued to push their limits, and push the limits the women's body's able to do and the human body’s able to do.”

Female athlete representation doesn’t stop there. Some women in track and field are also mothers, like famed U.S. Olympian Allyson Felix and Jamaican sprinting phenom Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. These women are not just representations of what women can do, but what mothers can do as well.

“That’s an amazing thing, to kind of resonate with,” said Rogers. She believes that having mothers in the sport is important to give runners someone to look up to and relate to in the running world. “Now you just have this honest talent that’s really uplifting women and bringing women empowerment.”

Women’s empowerment has been on display in recent years, according to steeplechase runner Emma Coburn. “I think what you see more and more, in the last 10 years even, is just a lot of camaraderie amongst the women,” Coburn said.

“Even if you’re opponents, or even if you’re rivals or people running in the same event, but you can root for each other.”

Olympic long jumper Tara Davis represented empowerment at the 2022 Prefontaine Classic during her event. Davis held second place until Sweden’s Khaddi Sagnia jumped a new personal best of 6.95m(22-9.75) to take over first. Davis’ shift to third place didn’t seem to faze her as she and Sagnia shared a hug on the runway, and she continued to cheer for Sagnia throughout the event.

When asked about her support for Sagnia, Davis admitted that they weren’t that close. “I just know how it feels to hit those PBs so I just wanted to celebrate with her,” said Davis.

As an individual sport, track and field is often set up as the foundation for creating rivalries between athletes and athletic clubs. Women’s track and field, however, shows that athletes are not looking for rivalry to drive progress.

“I’m really hoping that just the trend of women supporting women and working together continues,” said Coburn.

“Knowing that there’s space for everyone to succeed and fulfill their own goals, and one woman's success doesn’t mean another woman's failure—it just means there’s more success.”

Time for the Future

Change doesn't happen overnight, but women’s track and field is slowly receiving greater recognition and praise for its athletes. The next generation of women’s track and field may be the harbinger of change.

“To see how awesome the younger, high school generation, how fast they’re running—it’s super impressive,” said Coburn. “They’re gonna take it even a step farther, so it’s really awesome to see.”

For now, women’s track and field keeps moving forward. From participation to representation, the athletes of women’s track and field are generating the respect they deserve for the work they put into their craft.

“I feel like it’s overdue. I mean, the respect that so many talented women deserve,” said Rogers. “It’s catching up, but it’s something that I feel like, this is happening with time,” she added.

“It’s better late than never.”