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The CITIUS MAG Blog Boys will be at the Pre Classic

By Ryan Sterner

May 24, 2018

Eugene, Oregon. Better known to some of you nerds as TRACKTOWN USA. Home to Hayward Field. Birthplace of Nike. Where Steve Prefontaine won a couple of races and where we first met Galen Rupp’s insane face mask. Yes, TRACKTOWN USA has a rich history and after this weekend you can add another little notch to its already impressive timeline:

May 2018 – a few idiot bloggers sneezed around the city streets for two whole days in an attempt to bring sub-par content to the masses you people.

That’s right nerds, Scott Olberding, Stephen Kersh, and I will be in TRACKTOWN USA for the 2018 edition of The Pre Classic. Based on our preliminary editorial calls, here is a small list of things you can expect from us: memes; motion-sickness-inducing live video updates; probably some charts; you bet your ass a blog or two; a lot of shouting; some behind the scenes footage of ATHLETES, and our ongoing attempts to answer the age old question of “professional athletes, are they really just like us?” The answer is of course not, they’re better and also far more bizarre than any of us could even conceive.

Anyway, in order to round this blog out to a serviceable word count, here are some thoughts ahead of this weekend from the blog boys and chief blog boy Chris Chavez.

CHRIS CHAVEZ

“Much like Steve Prefontaine is considered the most influential and inspiring runner of his era, I believe that Ryan, Scott and Stephen are the most influential writers in the track and field blogosphere at the moment.”

STEPHEN KERSH

“One of the funniest things I’ve ever heard happened when I was on a bus en route to Eugene. I was traveling to Eugene from Portland for a college cross country meet. Our coach wasn’t really speaking and didn’t seem too happy, so the women’s coach leaned over and asked him if anything was bothering him.

‘Of course something is bothering me, I’m heading to fucking Eugene.’

And, so, as I write these words while waiting for my flight to Eugene, I cannot help but feel the exact same way. It’s a curious place. But not curious in the fun, interesting way. More curious in the what-the-fuck-happens-here-when-the-students-leave kind of way. I would answer mostly skullduggery and general malfeasance.

This all being said, I am excited to attend Pre Classic with my fellow Blog Boys. They’re nice to me and we always have a fun time together. As far as entries go, they’re all good. This is a Diamond League meet. Do you know what a diamond is? It’s precious. It’s a precious fucking stone. These are all precious entries and the races will be great.

This all being said, I hate Eugene.”

SCOTT OLBERDING

“I’m looking forward to the closing ceremony where we get to fire a every article with a byline including ‘Historic Hayward Field’ into space. This is the last Pre Classic at that stadium before it gets its big remodel.

Also, the entries. They are all certifiably nice. Personally, I hope we get a new coronation of new US Spring Gods in Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman. How fun are those guys?

I’m also looking forward to jogging with the hung-over fans on Pre’s Trail at approximately 9:30am on Saturday. Speaking of which, I will be very much looking forward to trying to coerce Stephen to walk to the Wild Duck at 9 p.m. on Friday night.”

RYAN STERNER

“Stephen and Scott have only terrible things to say about Eugene.

The first and last time I was in Eugene was for the 2012 Olympic Trials. I was 22. Most of my downtime was spent sleeping on a slowly deflating air mattress in the corner of someone’s living room. I ate pop tarts and coffee for lunch. I drank my dinner. Despite all of this, I had a great time.

I am 28 now. If I tried to live like that again, I’d walk away from Eugene with a herniated disc while feeling nothing but ill will for the place.

This weekend, however, I plan on maintaining a high fiber diet and sleeping on a real mattress, which I hope to settle in to no later than 9 pm every night. I also plan on talking exclusively about the pollen count.

What about the races? Sure, I bet they’ll be great.”

Ryan Sterner

Hobby jogger and soup enthusiast whose work has appeared in a number of highly esteemed publications such as Flotrack, The Howard Lake Herald Journal and Ebaum's World. Currently a resident of Los Angeles, where he spends most of his time indoors.