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

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 Show notes: Greenlights TrackTown on Instagram Jake on Instagram TrackTown Website Connect with Lindsey: Lindsey on Instagram Lindsey on Twitter Lindsey on Facebook Join the I’ll Have Another Facebook Group Support the I’ll Have Another Podcast on Patreon Follow SandyBoy Productions: Sandyboy Productions on Twitter Sandyboy Productions on Instagram SandyBoy Productions Shows: Why is Everyone Yelling? The Up and Running Podcast The Illuminate Podcast The Herban Farmacy Podcast The Ready to Run Podcast Sponsors: Previnex Use the code “another” for 15% off Donna Mother’s Day 5k Use the code “Lindsey10” for 10% off your registration