When the 33rd Prefontaine Classic is held Sunday in Eugene, Ore., the world's track and field royalty will share the spotlight with the stage itself -- Hayward Field.

It's the most prominent track-only venue in the United States, but the field's aura goes beyond that. In track and field terms, combine the history of Yankee Stadium, the intimacy of Wrigley Field and the tradition of Lambeau Field, and you have Hayward.

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Hayward Field has been home to the Pre Classic since 1975, shortly after Steve Prefontaine was killed in a car accident at age 24.

Built in 1919 as a football stadium, the field is named for Bill Hayward, who coached the University of Oregon's track team from 1904 to 1947. Hayward Field is known as the place where Steve Prefontaine became a legend and his coach, Bill Bowerman, sparked the running boom of the 1970s and planted a seed for eventual corporate giant Nike. (Bowerman, an inveterate tinkerer, used the family waffle iron to melt rubber soles, creating the light, springy running shoe that would launch the company.)

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