Episode 461: Jake Willard – Director of Brand Marketing and Engagement at TrackTown USA

Apr 28, 2023

01:09:21

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Jake Willard is the Director of Brand Marketing and Engagement at TrackTown USA. He has such a strong passion for the sport of track and field!

TrackTown USA is a nonprofit organization committed to setting a standard of excellence in the sport of track and field and running by hosting premier events, creating a supportive environment for elite athletic performances, improving facilities, being a leader in sustainability, and inspiring the next generation of track and field athletes and fans.

They held the world championships last year at Hayward Field. This year in 2023 they have the Eugene Marathon, The Oregon Twilight, The Oregon Relays, The Oregon Preview, the OHSAA State Track and Field Championships, Nike Outdoor Nationals, USATF Outdoor Championships, USATF U20 Championships, the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships, and the Prefontaine Classic.

Jake shares about what lead him to TrackTown USA, his love for the sport, all about races at Hayward Field, expanding the fan base of track and field and about running club in college!

What we talked about:

4:00- Introduction to Jake and Track Town USA
6:10- Running club in college

13:30- His own running career

18:25- Track Town USA and his work with them

21:10- The significance of Hayward Field

27:30- What is coming up this summer

35:15- Expanding the fan base of track and field

41:55- Prefontaine ghost story and Prefontaine’s legacy

56:10- Finding unknown history about the sport of running

1:02:20- End of podcast questions

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