The Nike OTC Marathon (sometimes styled "Nike/Oregon Track Club Marathon") was a marathon held annually from 1973 to 1984 in Eugene, Oregon.[1] It was organized by the Oregon Track Club (OTC) and sponsored by Nike.
The women's world record for the marathon was set at the Nike OTC Marathon by Jacqueline Hansen, who ran 2:38:19 in 1975.
The American women's marathon record was broken four times at the Nike OTC Marathon in the 1970s and 1980s, by Jacqueline Hansen (2:38:19 in 1975), Kim Merritt (2:37:57 in 1977), Julie Brown (2:36:23 in 1978),[2] and Joan Benoit (2:26:11 in 1982).[1] [3] The Boston Marathon is the only other race that has been the venue for more than three American women's marathon records.
| Year | Men | Time | Women | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | George Oja | 2:27:07 | Lili Ledbetter[4] | 3:03:32 | |
| 1974 | Philip Camp | 2:22:09 | Roberta Moore | 3:30:07 | |
| 1975 | Jon Peter Anderson | 2:16:08 | Jacqueline Hansen | 2:38:19 WR | |
| 1976 | Robert Hensley | 2:21:56 | Diane Barrett[5] | 2:51:05 | |
| 1977 | Jeff Wells | 2:13:15 | Kim Merritt | 2:37:57 NR | |
| 1978 | Lionel Ortega | 2:14:24 | Julie Brown | 2:36:23 NR | |
| 1979 | Tony Sandoval and Jeff Wells (tie)[6] | 2:10:20 | 2:35:41 | ||
| 1980 | Dick Quax[7] | 2:10:47 NR | Lorraine Moller | 2:31:42 | |
| 1981 | Benji Durden | 2:12:12 | Lorraine Moller | 2:31:15 | |
| 1982 | Rodolfo Gómez | 2:11:35 | Joan Benoit | 2:26:12 NR | |
| 1983 | Gary Siriano | 2:12:32 | Akemi Masuda | 2:30:30 | |
| 1984 | Alun Cole | 2:23:25 | Sue Mitchell | 2:59:33 |
National Masters News, self-described as the "official world and U.S. publication for Masters track & field, long distance running and race walking", reported in its 123rd issue in November 1988 that the race in Eugene that had formerly been the Nike Marathon became the Nike/OTC 25K as the course changed to a 25K in 1985 after Nike withdrew its prize money. In September 1988, Israeli Olympian Shem-Tov Sabag won the Nike/OTC (Nike/Oregon Track Club) 25K, with a time of 1:20:26, in what was to be the last running of the race, as Nike ended its sponsorship.[8]